More Than I Seem
by thepurplewriter333
Summary: Modern AU. All of his life, Hiccup's been the runt of the lot. He's bullied, has a useless crush on Astrid Hofferson - the most popular girl in the school -, his father couldn't care less about him, and his mother is the only one who truly cares. Life seems to be at its worst when the car crash comes. But after that, absolutely everything changes.
1. Life As It Is

**Chapter One: Life As It Is**

I'll be honest. My life pretty much sucked.

Maybe it was because I had asthma, or the fact that I was just born small. But no matter the reason, I still remained an easy target for bullies to torment. Not that I ever complained back to them, of course. If I did, I'd be in much more trouble than I already was.

Often, I thought about standing up for myself. To face the bullies, or to confront my father who completely avoided me, and tell them all what I really thought. I sure had a lot of things to say. But the moment I reached my school, or saw my father's sour expression when he noticed me, my courage immediately vanished. I couldn't change the way things were. That was just life as it was.

And, soon, I learned to live with it.

Sure, some days were more painful than others, and sure I sometimes grew a little irritated with my surroundings, but I kept on going. My mother was the reason why. She'd whisper encouraging words into my ear as she checked up on me when it seemed that no one else cared, she'd always be there just to _listen,_ and she would always stick up for me when my father's temper was too harsh for our liking.

Oh, my father… Stoick Vast Haddock, Mayor of the quaint little town of Berk. He had only been given the job a few years back, but that was all it took for him to forget that I existed. I missed my father a lot these days, with the bullying going on at school and generally... life. He used to set aside some of his time to talk to me, or spend a day fishing at the pond when I was feeling down.

He _used_ to.

Now, I barely ever seem to get his attentino, and when I do, we usually just share a quick "hello" and "goodbye", but he'd never even bothered to look me in the eye.

Mom always said we'd spend more time together in the future; she promised that if I waited only a little longer, his schedule would die down.

It never did.

In addition to family problems, I also had school problems, and bullies alongside it. No surprise there.

First, there was the giant boy, Simon, who absolutely despised me- but everyone called him Snotlout because of a rather disgusting incident from the year before. He was the worst out of all of the other bullies, never ceasing to make fun of something I did or cause me to trip on my way to the next class. And to top it all off, he was also my cousin, with a father that had serious anger issues who was teaching gym class at my school. How I was related to such people, I still had no idea. I figured I must have had to have been adopted.

Then there were the prankster twins, Remy- Ruffnut- and Tom- Tuffnut. Whenever anyone saw a loose guinea pig in the hallway, or a science test tube exploded confetti, the twins were always behind it. Unfortunately, they had taken a liking of using me as their "experimenter", and I often came home with my hair smoldering or wearing a sign that said _KICK ME!_ on my back.

There were other bullies as well: Alvin, Dagur, Savage, and even a few more. They never seemed to tire of humiliating me throughout the years.

Next was Frank, or Fishlegs. He wasn't a bully- far from it-, but he did hang out with the group. He never personally said something offensive to me, but it hurt to know that he would always just stand there and watch me getting beat up without lifting a hand to help.

Finally, there was Amanda Hofferson... she preferred everyone to call her Astrid with her love of the universe above us, which only made her more entrancing. She was beautiful, with a stunning blonde braid and blue eyes that made her especially likeable.

But I wouldn't want to get on her bad side any day. She was the toughest girl in the whole school, on the volleyball team _and_ the basketball, and I knew she wouldn't hesitate to punch or knock somebody out if she felt the need to. I had had a crush on Astrid ever since I first laid eyes on her, and I still dreamed of her noticing me and giving one of her rare smiles.

But how could that ever happen? I didn't even think she knew my name.

Still. Underneath all my… well… _self_ , I had some interesting qualities. First off, I could draw. I could sketch, paint, doodle away for hours without a care in the world. And my art wasn't bad at all. My mother keeps on saying my art is one of the most prettiest things she's ever seen- but then again, she's my mother. What else could I expect her to say?

Now that all these introductions are done, I should probably make some introductions, like who I am and what I'm here to say.

Well, I'll answer for you.

My name is Hiccup Haddock, and despite what everyone else believes...

I'm more than I seem to be.

* * *

I let out a sigh as I entered the school building. Almost automatically, I hunched over, trying to keep as invisible as I could. I wasn't in the mood for any more bullying today. I had had to stay up late the night before studying for a math test, and I would be too tired to try and fight back against them.

Not that I would win, anyway.

I made it to my homeroom on time, which was math class itself. I exhaled in relief when no one tripped me in the hall. Maybe today wouldn't be that bad.

After finding my seat, I tossed my backpack on the floor and dug out my math book. The room was almost full by now, but my teacher, Mr. Ryker, still waited with obvious impatience. I frowned. I had never liked him, as he was always trying to prove me wrong or get me in some sort of trouble. And it just so happened that his younger brother, Mr. Viggo Grimborn was the principal of the whole school. That meant if I got in trouble in this class, I'd get in trouble with the principal too.

Oh joy.

Mr. Ryker gave the clock an annoyed glare, like he wanted it to speed up somehow. There was still one more minute before the bell rang, and he wasn't happy that he still had to wait. Finally, the steady stream of students died down, which meant everyone had taken a seat. The room was full- except, there was still one place empty.

I felt myself reddening when I realized just whose desk it was.

It was _hers._

"Sorry I'm late, Mr. Grimborn," she said as she entered the classroom. "My dog, Stormfly, got sick last night, and my mom had to take her to the vet before dropping me off this morning."

My head turned in her direction, and I could feel my eyes widen at her. _Astrid Hofferson was standing right there._ I tried to appear relaxed, but that was impossible. _Astrid was right there. Ten feet away from me. Living. Breathing._

Mr. Ryker snapped me out of my trance with a sharp comeback to Astrid. "See that it does not happen again, Amanda."

"Astrid," Astrid corrected, shifting her backpack on her shoulder.

My math teacher rolled his eyes. "In my class, we go by our birth names. We don't go by nicknames of such."

"But what about Hiccup?" Astrid pointed out. " _He_ has a nickname."

I froze. Astrid had said my name. She knew I existed… that I was in the same room as her…that I was someone worthy enough to know the name of...

Heat rushed to my cheeks. "Um, actually, it's not a nickname," I said, surprising Astrid. I doubted she'd ever even heard me talk before. "I was given the name Hiccup at birth."

Astrid blinked, studying me. I was acutely aware of her dazzling blue eyes piercing into my soul. "Really?"

All I could do was nod. _She was talking to me._

"Please take a seat, Ms. Hofferson," Mr. Ryker quipped, shutting the door. "We're already late enough as it is."

Astrid nodded. "Of course, sir." She made her way through the sea of desks until she reached her own, which was on the other side of the room. I tried to make eye contact in case she wanted to acknowledge me, but she was too busy getting out her books to notice. Besides, Snotlout was in the way- and that was when he noticed I was sitting right next to him.

Snotlout glared over at me, his fists tightening on his math book. Just the way his sneer was twisted made me shiver. "You don't stand a chance with Astrid, Hiccup," he hissed, keeping his eyes on Mr. Ryker in case he would be called out. "Face it, Useless. No one likes you. And certainly not Astrid."

 _Oh? And she'd prefer you more?_ I wanted to say back, but I held my tongue. Arguing with Snotlout would only get me a sure black eye later on, and I didn't wish for that. Still, the words hurt, so I forced myself to drop my gaze and stare down at my desk, silent. I heard Snotlout snicker in triumph from beside me; my heart sunk. Yet another battle lost.

Sighing, I looked up at Mr. Ryker, not at all eager to learn the things I already knew.

As I said before, life sucked.

But it wouldn't be until later on I would realize just how much.


	2. Dodgeball Doesn't End Well

**Thanks for your faves, follows, and reviews guys! It really made me happy. :)**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Dodgeball Doesn't End Well**

Math class ended quickly, and I got an A on my test. But that didn't mean all my troubles were over. I still had more classes awaiting me, and I dreaded just about every one of them. All I wanted to do was to go home and collapse.

Still, school was stubborn and it made me go through the rest of the day.

There was Home EC class, taught by Ms. Mala. She was pretty nice compared to my other teachers, and always knew how to help students out when they were struggling. It surprised me that Astrid was one of those people. It turned out she had a hard time with baking.

Next came computer class. Our teacher was Mr. Throk, a large and muscular man who was surprisingly intelligent. It also happened to be a known fact that he had a soft spot for Ms. Mala, but I know he'd never admit it.

Then there was history, taught by our always-scowling teacher, Mr. Mildew. I never liked him, and he never like me. After that, it was Spanish with Ms. Gothi. It was actually pretty difficult to learn in that class, because she still only spoke in Spanish, even once school was over.

And then there came the monster of all of my classes. The Big One. The one that'd make me have nightmares for weeks. The class which would make any sane kid drop to the floor and beg for mercy.

 _Gym class.  
_  
Taught by a hairy six and a half foot lunatic with a big attitude and an even bigger ego, he wasn't widely popular. He was known as Mr. Spitelout, or, sadly, my uncle. Since my dear cousin Snotlout absolutely loathed me, it was no surprise that his father did too.

After I finished changing into shorts, I entered the gymnasium to find myself shaking. Gym class was never a specialty of mine, since I had asthma and had to sit out for most games. I clutched the bag with my inhaler in it tightly. There was always a risk of breaking down if I pushed myself too hard, and with Uncle Spitelout as the teacher... well... he still didn't quite get the concept of 'not being able to breathe.'

Once all the students had arrived, my uncle took the spotlight of the class, his muscles bulging prominently out from his white t-shirt. "All right, you lousy children of today's sorry world," he spat. "Today we're playing dodgeball, to test your reflexes of such."

I breathed out in relief. Good. Dodgeball would most likely be too much strain for me, so I would get to sit out.

I started to walk over to the bleachers, ready for a relaxing period of watching everyone else do the work, when Uncle Spitelout's voice suddenly boomed out from behind me. "And where do you think _you're_ going, 'iccup?"

Turning around to face him, I felt confused. "Sir, I have asthma. I can't play dodge-"

"Nonsense!" He cut me off with a wave of his hand. "You're just stalling, aren't you? Well, Hiccup, not today! You'll have to join in with everyone else. Alright, then. First, we'll have you divide into teams. We'll have three different ones today, is that clear?"

The class chanted, "Yes, sir," in unison, but I gulped. Teams. That meant team captains, which meant I'd be the last chosen... again.

I looked over to my right to see Fishlegs standing there, looking extremely nervous. I couldn't see why, though. He had a huge build- bigger than Snotlout, even. He'd be a valuable player on any team, and I knew he'd be one of the first ones chosen.

"First up is Snotlout!" my uncle announced. I barely even blinked. It was the same thing every time. Snotlout was always, _always_ one of the team captains, no matter what game it was. And most times it was because his father chose him.

Snotlout swaggered up to the front of the group, looking as smug as usual. From beside me, Fishlegs said, "Snotlout: size sixteen. Speed eleven."

"Next is Alvin," Spitelout ordered, pointing to the large boy up front. Alvin grinned, and walked over to Snotlout's side. The two boys exchanged knowledgeable looks before glaring darkly at me. I looked down at the floor. That didn't look good.

"Alvin: Size eighteen, speed eight," Fishlegs said grimly.

The class rolled their eyes, and Uncle Spitelout swerved to Fishlegs in annoyance. "Would you stop that?" When Fishlegs didn't respond, he breathed out, turning back to us. "And finally, Savage."

"Size twelve, speed nine," Fishlegs whispered to me.

"Now," Spitelout began, starting to dump bags of plastic balls on the floor, "I want you to get an equal amount of people on your teams, and put on a clean game. Snotlout, you pick first."

Snotlout tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, so many players! Well, my first choice would have to be, I don't know... _Astrid_ ," he smiled, and spread his arms out. "Come on, babe. Let's show these losers what we can do as one."

Astrid emerged from the group, her blonde braid swaying gracefully as she walked. She stopped when she reached Snotlout, clearly looking annoyed. "I'm not your 'babe'. And don't ever call me that again." She looked deadly. " _Ever_."

My cousin cleared his throat, flexing his arm. "Sure, ba- I mean, _Astrid_ ," he corrected, wincing. No one wanted to get on Astrid's bad side. It was amazing even what she could do with just her fists.

Soon afterward, the team captains had chosen all their players. As I suspected, Fishlegs was one of the first gone, and I was one of the last. Well, the _very_ last, to be exact. Again, it was no surprise. When we were all picked, the game began just in moments.

The seemingly bland gym court transformed a battlefield of warriors. It was every man for himself, even if they were on a team. Which, not surprisingly, some students took to their advantage. Quite a few people on my team enjoyed using me as a human shield, but fortunately I never got hit. Well, not yet, anyway.

I had had the pleasure of ending up on Snotlout's team, and the bigger boy wasn't happy. Not happy at all. The only good thing about the arrangement was having a chance to be on the same team as Astrid. It was incredible watching her throw the balls at the other teams. She had perfect aim, and never missed her target once.

"Remember, if you get blasted, you're dead!" Spitelout chortled, amused at watching us students fall prey to others. "And if a ball goes out of range, it's unusable! Got it?"

The remaining players hummed in agreement, and went back to playing. I picked up a nearby ball, hoped for the best, and I threw it. But at as soon as I let it go, it upset my balance and I fell to the floor. I heard some snickers from behind me, and winced.

"Well, look here, boys!" Snotlout crowed, kicking me in the side. "Useless couldn't even throw a ball without messing up!"

Sighing, I looked up. "Snotlout, I-" But then I saw it: the other two teams were approaching me, balls raised in their hands as they sent out deadly glares. I gulped. This would not end well.

I closed my eyes just as I was pummeled by a sea of balls.

* * *

After the humiliating game in gym class, I was beyond ready to go home. It seemed that the whole school knew of my 'famed' trip, and they relentlessly teased me for it. So the moment I saw my mom waiting to pick me up, I was filled with pure relief.

Not for the first time, I was glad I didn't have to take the bus home.

I raced over to her car after being released from the school, and Mom unlocked the doors so I could get in. Climbing inside, I breathed out in relief. Another day was done. Now, I only had to cope with a few more months of school before summer came.

My mother smiled as I entered. "Hey, honey, how was school?"

Replying with a simple shrug, I buckled in my seat belt. "Not bad."

 _Liar,_ my thoughts screamed.

I pushed them away.

"That's great," Mom said, and started to drive once I was settled in. "So, how did you do on that big math test you were studying for?"

Flashing her a weak grin, I felt nervous. "I got an A+."

She beamed, taking her eyes off the road to give me an approving nod. "That's incredible, Hiccup. When I was your age, I could almost do just as well, but your father..." She stopped herself, pausing. "Oh, yes… that's right. I seemed to have forgotten- we're having a homemade dinner with him tonight for once, since it's been a slow week for the town."

I froze. "What?" It wasn't that I didn't want to see my father- far from it-, it was just that, well, I'd barely seen him lately, and it'd be awkward. Besides, I knew I was just a liability to him. He was the mayor, and I was a nothing. We didn't quite mix.

"Just… try and talk to him," Mom continued, making a turn on the road. "He wants to hear what you have to say." When I didn't reply, she smiled weakly. "He really does, Hiccup. It's just been a bit busy lately."

"Sure," I muttered, leaning my head against the window.

I did not look forward to tonight.


	3. Dinner

**Shoutouts:**

 **animalsarepeopletoo: Aw, thanks! I'm so glad you like it! Haha, yes, it was fun adding the references in from the first HTTYD movie. Thank you! Here's the update!**

 **FanWriter02: Yeah, poor Hiccup. *pats him on the back* It'll be okay… NOT. XD**

 **katurdi: ICK! DODGEBALL, GET DOWN! *grimaces* I don't like it either, and never have. Thank you! And yes… chapter 4 will be… INTERESTING. :D**

 **Astrid E Lokison: Thank you! :)**

 **lightfootk: Yay! I'm glad you like it! It means a lot. :D**

 **jimmix: Well, I won't have time to add the teacher info in later, because of the upcoming you-know-what;D, so I had to squeeze it into two chapters. Sorry if you didn't like it, but I just wanted to get that all down since there won't be another opportunity in the story. Here's your chapter!**

 **Fantasygirl1329: HAHA! I'm so happy you liked my choice for the teachers! It was really fun writing them down, and with Mildew… *bursts out laughing* I can almost imagine him in real life like that… thank you!**

 **jessygirl03: Thank you! I'm happy you liked it!**

 **Goldeneyeddragon101: Haha, yeah, it was pretty funny to write! :D Well, if you remember from the first chapter, Dagur is another bully, but Heather…. Well, let's just say she'll make an appearance soon. :) Oh! And Viggo is the principal if you were wondering. I mentioned that in the first chapter, I believe. Well, Spanish is making a comeback in our country, so I thought "what the heck?" and added it in there.**

 **AlienGhostWizard14: Thank you! :D**

 **Anonymous Noob the 2nd: Glad you think so! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Dinner**

That night, Mom was frantic to get everything ready for when Dad came home to have supper.

I offered to help her in the kitchen, but she only brushed me aside and said to do my homework before Dad got home. So, I did, and by the time I was done, Dad had arrived. I watched his car pull up into the driveway from my window, feeling a mixture of nervousness and doubt.

I thought about the last time I had interacted with my father. It must have been two weeks ago when we were in the living room and he asked me to hand him the remote to the TV. Well, at least it was better than, "Hey, Dad," replied with an annoyed, "Hi" back.

"Hiccup!" my mother shouted from downstairs. "Your father's here!"

Sighing, I quickly left my room and bounded down the stairs. When I reached the first floor and took my place by Mom's side, I lightly considered going back upstairs to avoid any further conversations.

A few seconds later, there was a heavy knock, and I gulped. Mom gave me a hopeful grin before she unlocked the door and opened it. There stood my father, a great hulking man, standing seven feet tall with a bushy red beard and a belly like a battleship. He smiled at my mother slightly but didn't even acknowledge me. I wasn't surprised. Compared to him, I was pretty runty.

Well, runti _er._

"Come in, come in," Mom urged, closing the door behind Dad. "Let's get you settled at the table." She started to walk off towards the dining room, and my father followed. At first, I tarried for a bit but eventually followed after them.

Mom was sitting Dad down at the food-covered table when I came in the room, and she smiled over at me. "Hiccup, your seat is right there." Mom pointed to a chair across from my father, making me wince. Sitting that close to Dad was not a good idea. He was a time-bomb ready to explode at any moment, and I didn't want to be there for any eruptions.

After I sat down, I avoided Dad's gaze, as he did mine. Mom was about to take her seat beside us when she stood back up. "Oh dear, I forgot the macaroni in the kitchen." She sent me an apologetic look but didn't look very sorry. "I'll go and get it, then. You two talk while I'm gone."

And then she left.

I cleared my throat, uneasy as I looked up at my father. "So."

"So..." Dad echoed, keeping his gaze on his plate. He bit his lip, and I could tell his mind was working on how to start up a small conversation. But then he simply gave up, leaning back in his chair with a stoic expression.

I felt disappointed. Couldn't he at least try?

A few seconds later, Mom came back into the room, carrying her famous dish of macaroni. "I'm back! Now, who's hungry?"

Dad and I muttered something that sounded like, "Yeah, sure, sounds great."

"So," Mom breathed, setting down her dish. "Stoick, do you know that Hiccup has been getting all A's in school lately?" Dad raised a brow and looked uninterested. If my mom saw it, she didn't say anything. "I think it's just wonderful. Don't you think so, dear?"

"Valka. Can we not talk about this at dinner?" Dad said stiffly and started to fill up his plate with the different foods that were laid out.

"Why not?" Mom asked, sitting down. "I just thought you'd like to-"

"I said I don't want to talk about it!" Dad snapped. His eyes darted down at the table as he tried to hold back even more anger.

For a moment there was just silence. I felt terrible. This was all my fault… Dad didn't want to talk about me- it only caused him stress. I was just a burden...

Mom sent out a death glare at my father. "Stoick, Hiccup is your son, and I think that by now, you'd start acting like it." With that, she began to put a few servings of macaroni on her own plate, obviously furious with him.

It felt horrible sitting there. I was the cause of the problem. I always was.

I cast a painful glance at my father, who was slowly eating his food. I just wished he'd show me more appreciation from time to time. Or act like a real dad would to his own kid.

I shook my head. That'd never happen, and nothing would ever change that.

Tomorrow, though…

Boy, was I about to be proved wrong.

* * *

The next day at school, Friday, was terrible. Snotlout, Dagur, and Alvin ganged up on me more than usual, and we suddenly got a homework overload. Mr. Ryker seemed directly sour to me as well, Mr. Mildew called me out for something I didn't do, Ms. Gothi still didn't speak a word in English, and Throk and Mala had yet to explore their feelings for each other.

So, yeah. Nothing new.

When it was all finally over, I made haste to locate and run over to my mom's car, eager to go home and escape. When I climbed in, I saw Mom looking at me with concern in her eyes.

"You okay, Hiccup?" she asked as I buckled myself in. "You seem… in a rush."

I bit my lip. "Sure." But then I made the fatal mistake of looking out the window, where unfortunately Snotlout, Savage, Alvin, and Dagur were on the sidewalk. When they saw me, Snotlout pretended to slip and fall down after throwing an imaginary ball, and the other boys hooted with laughter.

I looked away. They'd never quit, would they?

"Hiccup? What was that about?" Mom asked worriedly, starting to drive down the street.

"It's… it's nothing, Mom," I assured her, feeling uneasy. "Some kids are just fooling around about something that happened yesterday… it's nothing."

 _Buy it, buy it..._

We left the school grounds and headed down the road which would lead us home. There was a moment of silence before Mom answered, her tone thick with concern. "Hiccup… those boys seemed a bit… rude to you. And was that your cousin Snotlout over there too?"

I looked down at my lap. "They're not doing anything wrong."

"Hiccup, you need to tell me if something's wrong," Mom urged, taking a turn on the road. "I don't want you hiding things from me, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I sighed. I wanted to tell her so bad about the bullying, but I knew that if I did, Snotlout and the others would get me back for it. The kids who told on them were always targeted.

"So, everything's alright?" my mom asked after a beat.

"Yep," I agreed. "It's nothing bad. Just a bit of boyish fun."

"Ah," Mom laughed. "Yes, your father was the same way. Always goofing around… until I came along." She nodded proudly and tapped the steering wheel. "I set him into place. If not, he wouldn't be the same man we know him as today…"

"Wouldn't be that bad," I muttered so that she wouldn't hear me. "He doesn't care about us anyways…"

Unfortunately, Mom caught it. She had never heard me insult my father like that before, and was obviously surprised. Whipping her head in my direction, she breathed, "What?"

That was all the time it took to happen. I barely had time to register the red blur coming towards us before, all of the sudden, it smashed into our car and caused an earsplitting crash to ring out. My mother let out a scream.

As I was knocked backward, pain filled my left leg, and the last thing I remembered was Mom shrieking, "Hiccup!" before everything went black.


	4. Crash

**I'd like to send a big thank you out to all those who faved, followed, and reviewed! It really means a lot. :D Sorry for the last cliffie, but here's shoutouts and then your much-awaited chapter! (P.S. This is the last time I'm doing shoutouts for this story. Sorry :/)**

 **Shoutouts**

 **katurdi: Haha, yep, the cliffie was pretty bad… Aw, thanks! Glad you like it! Ugh, Stoick IS a meanie, isn't he? Well… what happens to Valka will be revealed in this chapter…:)**

 **Hiccstridlover13: Here's your update! :D**

 **SunshineGirl14: Thank you! Here's your chapter! :)**

 **animalsarepeopletoo: *cackles* Oh, you know I can leave you guys with cliffies… :D Aw, thank you! I'm so happy you're liking it!**

 **YoloSwag69lol: Thanks for the suggestion, I'll keep it in mind! :D**

 **AnnieDragonGirl: Does anybody agree with cliffies? *shakes head sadly* Here's your update! :D**

 **Anonymous Noob the 2nd: Yep, the cliffies are terrible, aren't they? Aw, you're right… poor Hiccup. How I torture him so!**

 **harrypanther: Yep! Stoick gets the grand prize for being a terrible father. Oh dear is right! Car accidents are nothing to play around with… I'm so glad you like it!:D Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Ashloveleaf: *replaces your music with dark music* 'Cause I'm me! :)**

 **FanWriter02: Haha, I'm happy you're hooked! Here's your update! :D**

 **AlaskanViking: Who knows if I'll kill Valka? THAT is a question that will be answered… eh… maybe next chapter. :D Glad you like the story! Here's the next chapter!**

 **Astrid E Lokison: AHHHH! *calls 911* Hello? Yes, we have a MAJOR CLIFFIE IN THE AREA? Where is it, you ask? It's at Purple's story, where do you THINK IT IS? *pauses* Okay… *hangs up* OKAY, THEY'RE COMING. Here's your chapter! :D**

 **EagleDragon15: Really really!**

 **Guest: Well, remember, in Modern AU stories, everyone's not going to be the same as they are on Berk. I'm not sure if you have a dad that works a lot (I do), but if you don't let me explain something… when they get back from a long day at work, they're not going to be prancing around with happiness. No, they're going to be tired, exasperated, and ready for the day to end. Plus, he's the MAYOR- it's going to be stressful. As for Valka being alive, well, we wouldn't have known if Stoick would've acted the same way around Hiccup if she was alive in the movie because we weren't given the option to see. So, just remember that Modern AU story characters AREN'T going to be the same as they are in the movies, okay? It IS another universe! :D**

 **lightfootk: Hmm, we'll have to see what Valka and Hiccup's fate is! *cringes* The person behind the wheel of the car will be…** _ **unexpected.**_ **Here's your update! :D**

 **Goldeneyeddragon: Oh, it's perfectly fine! Haha, we'll see what happens to Dagur. Who knows? He could take a turn for the best! YES NOOOOOOOOOOOO HICCUP! *cries***

 **jimmix: Yeah, Stoick isn't very nice, is he? Here's your chapter! (Also, side note: can you please not curse in your reviews? Sorry, I'm a Christian and I am sensitive to that.)**

 **Annieyay12e (Guest): Yep, I surely am evil!**

* * *

 **Chapter Four: Crash**

"Hicc… cup…"

A faint buzzing noise slowly filled my ears, and I groaned as a wave of pain shot up my left leg. It was hard to think straight, but soon my feelings solidified into drowsy thoughts. What happened?

The voice came back, more urgent than before. "P-please… Hicc… cup…"

 _Mom._

I forced open my eyes and was met with the faint glow of consciousness. When my vision cleared, I realized that I was staring straight at the ceiling of my car, with my seat toppled backward. My head throbbed, and I wondered if I had hit it.

"Yes… that's… it, Hiccup…"

I finally regained most of my senses and cringed when another line of pain shot up my leg. I vaguely remembered something red crashing into our car, then being thrown back, Mom screaming… after that, it was all fuzzy.

Again, I wondered what had happened.

Coughing, I turned my aching head to the side to see where my mother was. "M-Mom…?" My voice was raspy. It sounded far more terrible than I actually felt.

My mother was sitting across from me, and her seat was only a little pushed back. Her battered face showed obvious signs of relief that I was awake. "Hiccup," she managed out. "Are… you okay?"

I cringed. My left leg was buried underneath something, causing me a lot of pain. Then there was my head… but that's when I noticed Mom's side. It was matted with thick blood. A lot of blood. I tried not to gasp. "I'm fine…," I said, not wanting her to worry anymore. "Mom… what happened to your side?" My vision danced, still, I pressured myself to keep my eyes open. I had to live- for her...

"Big… shard of glass," she said quietly. I wasn't sure if she was trying to lower her voice or was just too tired to raise it. "When… the car hit… the window… shattered… and..."

Stiffening as pain washed over me, I was forced to close my eyes. I didn't dare try to fall asleep, although. Not while Mom was injured. "How long… have I… been out?" I knew we both needed medical attention. My left leg was being crushed, and Mom was losing too much blood from the glass in her side. "And… what about… the car… that hit us?"

Mom coughed weakly. "You've been… out of it… for a minute… or so… the car that hit us, it… I think I driver was knocked… unconscious too… and I… I..." She didn't go on.

I opened my eyes again, confused. "Mom?" I was met with no answer. "Mom…?"

Then I saw her.

She was leaning over in her seat, almost unconscious by now. I hadn't realized how much she was hurting when I talked to her before. Red stained her seat, and even more was spreading by the moment. "Stay with me, Mom!" I yelled, frantic to sit up, but my crushed leg prevented me. "Mom, please!"

Mom groaned just as she passed out, her body going limp. I started to scream. Not just at the pain I was experiencing, but for the fear for my mother. Everything was fuzzy when I finally heard the sirens wailing as police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances skidded to a stop next to the crash site.

 _Please… find us…_ I thought, battling to stay awake. My mom needed help. I figured I did too. I wished the medics had gotten here sooner, or I hadn't distracted Mom while she was driving. It was all my fault.

Always my fault...

My next thoughts were muddled when the first man got one of our car doors open. It was on Mom's side, and he gasped when he saw her unconscious form leaning over. I barely registered someone opening my car door and unbuckling me from my seat before they yelled something that sounded like, "... crushed leg! Needs help..."

After quite a painful feat of pulling me free from the car's rubble, I was carried away to an ambulance. Everything was a blur. I wondered if Mom was all right.

People swarmed beside me, trying to get me to look at them, but they were all just pink and brown smudges in my vision, I moaned. My leg hurt.

"...losing too much blood!" someone cried, their words echoing in my ringing ears. "He's not going to make it!"

"He will!" another person snapped back. "We need to get him to the E.R.- now!"

I closed my eyes, giving up on staying awake. Why would I even try? My mom was in critical condition, if not already dead, my father hated me and I certainly had no friends at school. It was my time to go.

"No, don't close your eyes, kid!" someone said from beside me as the ambulance started to move. "W-what's your name? Come on, stay with me…"

"Hic... cup," I murmured, surprising myself by answering. "That's… my name…"

"Hiccup, then… stay awake, you need to stay awake…"

I wanted to say no, to give up on living, to refuse to endure yet another day of not being wanted. But something stopped me, and it made me open my eyes. Maybe Mom was alive. I had to know before I made the decision. "Mom…" I whispered. "Mom… is she..." I couldn't go on. My lungs ached.

There was a fuzzy face leaning over me. One of the medics in the ambulance, I assumed. "Don't worry, your mom will be fine, Hiccup," he was saying. "You will be too… just stay with us… only for a little longer…"

I groaned.

Soon, the ambulance came to a stop, and I was unloaded from the back of the car before I knew it.

Loud voices.

Blurry faces.

I wasn't even sure how I was still awake as my cot was slid into the hospital, traveling at a rapid pace. My left leg burned. I saw red on my jeans. The world was shattered into tiny pieces of glass, barely holding itself together.

I was rolled into a white room. Everything was so bright, and my head pounded more than before. Must've have gotten a concussion in the crash. Next thing I knew, a doctor was shaking my arm. Yelling something inaudible.

All I could do was stare back.

My vision danced, swirled, cartwheeled around in crazy ways. I wondered if anyone would care when I was gone. I didn't think my dad would mind much at all. He'd shed a tear, maybe, but only for show. I was about to submit myself to unconsciousness when suddenly my breath caught in my throat. Chest aching, I gasped desperately for air.

But none came.

People rushed in the room, their expressions invisible in my pain.

A doctor's wide eyes looked down at me, and his lips formed words that I couldn't understand. Something was put over my mouth, a type of mask, but I was too weak to try breathing anymore. It was no use.

The doctor yelled something to the others just as I passed out.


	5. Hurting on the Inside

**Chapter Five: Hurting on the Inside**

Pain was the thing that had knocked me unconscious, but it was also the thing that woke me up.

The first thing I was aware of was a small beeping. At first, it was just a tiny, gentle tone that rang in my ears and told me that something else was there, and I wasn't alone.. But after a minute, I grew annoyed with its monotonous rhythm, and wanted to crush the source of sound.

After a moment of clearing my thoughts, I realized that everything in my body ached. My head, my arms, my legs… well, _leg._ For some reason, I couldn't feel my left leg. I assumed that it was just asleep, and brushed my concerns away, replacing them with new ones. Why couldn't I open my eyes? Why did everything hurt so much? I had gone to sleep the night before just fine, so why did I feel like this now?

"Hiccup…"

There was a scratchy, male voice from above me, and I felt something touch my arm.

"I'm so… I'm so sorry… this wasn't supposed to happen..."

Who was this person? It sounded like… _Dad?_ I was confused. Why did Dad sound so sad? He never was like this, unless... I suddenly got the feeling that something was very, very wrong. My arms felt like lead, I was too weak to open my eyes, and my head occasionally gave off a flash of pain.

"Please, son. I can't lose you too…"

The voice was too sorrowful, too broken to ignore. With all my strength, I managed to open my eyes, and found the world blurry. There was a fuzzy face above me, with something large and red hanging down… a beard. So it _was_ my father. Only he had a beard like that.

I heard Dad suck in a breath. "H-Hiccup… can you hear me, son? Hiccup?"

My vision slowly cleared as I blinked. "Dad?"

"Hiccup!" I was suddenly overwhelmed by a tight hug, which made my ribs nearly crunch. I didn't mind, though. I hadn't been hugged by my father for years. It felt nice. But still, something felt off. Why was he showing so much affection? What happened?

"Can't… breathe," I gasped.

Dad pulled away, his countenance both embarrassed and relieved. "Of… of course." He cleared his throat. "Hiccup, I… I was beginning to think that you…" Pausing, he swallowed. "That you weren't going to make it."

A bad feeling filled me. "What? Why?"

Dad gave me an odd look. "You… you don't remember?" All of the sudden, I noticed just how terrible he looked. There were deep bags under his eyes, as well as recent traces of tears. He seemed exhausted, and I wondered when the last time he had gone to sleep was. "You were in a car crash," he prompted, voice shaking slightly. "And now you're in the hospital."

I was about to say no, I didn't remember, when fuzzy memories filled my mind. The car crash… me blacking out… Mom screaming… _Mom._ I panicked, and tried to sit up in bed. My breathing was labored, as I was hooked up to some type of oxygen machine, but I didn't care. I had to go find Mom. To see if she was safe. If she was alive.

Dad looked alarmed at my fuss, and tried to hold me down. "Hiccup! Calm down, you're safe now..."

"Mom," I wheezed, still struggling to sit up. My ribs and lungs burned from the strain. "Is she… okay…?"

The room went silent. Dad's face seemed to pale significantly more than it had been before. He even stumbled back a little, looking back over at me with tears in his eyes. "She… she… the crash, it..."

"Dad?" I asked quietly. Dread filled me. "What happened to Mom?"

Dad's eyes fell to the floor. "Hiccup… do you know how long you've been unconscious for?"

I tried to think about the amount of time, but my head throbbed too much to come up with an answer. "No."

He ran a hand down his ragged face. "It's… it's been a week since the crash. They told me that when they brought you in, you were experiencing too much stress from the crash, and began to have an asthma attack… you stopped breathing until they could pump oxygen back into you." He sucked in a breath. "I was notified a few minutes later that you were in the hospital, and were about to undergo surgery for your… _injury_. And then, I remembered Valka." He swallowed. "She was losing too much blood from her side wound… and she… she went into a semi-coma, and…"

There was a long beat.

"She passed away last night."

The world seemed to stop around me. The only sound in the room was the faint humming of my oxygen machine, and my rapid breathing. No. No, it couldn't be possible. I had just been with Mom, and she was very much alive. Laughing. Talking.

Breathing.

"And… and now you've woken up, finally," my father choked. "I thought I had lost you too for a moment… but, I guess… I only lost a part of you…"

My tear filled eyes shot up to my father's face, now confused. "What do you mean, you only lost a part of me?"

Dad was about to reply, when my hospital room's door opened. A male doctor with a white suit entered, holding a clipboard in his hands. He brightened when he saw I was awake. "Hiccup! How do you feel?"

I felt a stray tear fall down my cheek, and winced. "I'm… I'm fine. But Mom-" My voice broke, and it was all I could do to hold back a sob.

The doctor bit his lip, unsure how to approach the topic. I didn't care what he had to say. I knew he wasn't sad that Mom was gone- he barely knew her-, and would just pretend to feel bad. The doctor sighed. "I know this is hard to deal with, Hiccup..."

"Hard?" I growled. I couldn't help it. I was boiling that my mother was gone, and that this all had happened. "She's dead! I'm… I'm motherless!"

The doctor didn't seem surprised by my outburst, and I guessed he had had his share of patients like me before. "We did all we can do…," he told me slowly. "But now, we're just going to focus on you. You're still recovering from the crash, after all." He winced. "You're suffering from a fractured skull, one broken rib, and… a crushed leg."

My mind immediately floated back to all the injuries, and again I realized that I couldn't feel my left leg. It was… _unsettling_.

"Speaking of your leg," the doctor continued, "I need to take a look at it."

That's when I knew something was seriously wrong. I pushed back all the conflicted emotions I was feeling, and allowed fear to enter. "What do you mean? My leg is fine, right? You fixed it… you're a doctor, you fixed it..."

Dad cleared his throat. "Hiccup-"

I sat up the full way in bed, but regretted it seconds later. Cringing at the pain in my head and ribs, I pulled the covers off of my legs, and looked down at my feet.

I screamed.

On my left leg, where there should have been a foot at the bottom, there was nothing. Only a thickly bandaged stump which ended up halfway up my thigh. After that, it was just a blank space. No foot. No limb. Nothing.

My screaming continued, and Dad and the doctor rushed over to me. I swatted them away, though, too horrified to speak.

"Hiccup… Hiccup!" my father yelled, placing his large hands on my shoulder. "It's alright! It's alright… you're going to get a prosthetic. You'll stand again… you'll walk, you'll run! Nothing's lost yet, okay?"

His suddenly gentle tone snapped me out of my panic attack, and I stopped screaming. But my breathing still came in heaves, and the doctor examined my heart monitor with a frown. "Hiccup, you're going to have to calm down, or you could risk another asthma attack- or worse."

I tried to even my breathing out, but it was impossible. The shock of all this news had taken its toll on me: I had been unconscious for a week because of a car crash. My mother died last night. I had lost a limb that I had loved.

 _Breathe, Hiccup, breathe…_

That only made it worse. Dad stroked my hair, whispering comforting things which I couldn't make out. This surprised me. Dad never cared if I was hurt or distressed, what made this any different? I was distracted from my father, though, when I saw the doctor at the from of the room grab a needle out from his pocket, filled with some type of strange liquid. I panicked as he came towards me, and backed up in bed."Go away!"

My vision swam before my eyes, and I struggled to not pass out. Dad's eyes widened. "Calm down, Hiccup… it's going to be all right. Keep your eyes on me… breathe..."

I couldn't, though. I watched as the doctor leaned towards me with his needle ready, and he pressed it down into my right arm. "This will calm you down," I heard him say, though my ears were ringing. "And when you wake up, we'll talk once you're feeling better…"

"No," I said sleepily, my body relaxing as I sunk into my bed. "Don't want to… fall asleep…"

"It'll be all right, Hiccup," Dad whispered, a smile on his face for the first time in years. "I'll stay with you until you wake up again… I promise..."

"Mom," I whispered. "I want Mom."

Dad said something else, his eyes filled with sadness, but I didn't hear it. The medicine the doctor had given me caused my eyelids to lower, and before I knew it, I was asleep.

* * *

 **I'm kind of at loss for words right now, but all I can say is please review! And t** **hanks for all your faves, follows, and reviews last chapter! It means a lot!**

 **See you soon! :D**


	6. Real Or Not Real

**Chapter Six: Real Or Not Real**

When I awoke, peeling open my eyelids, I felt groggy, sore, and most of all, tired.

For a long moment, I wondered where exactly I was. I didn't recognize the room I was in, and it scared me. But then it all soon came back: I had been in a car crash. My leg was gone. I had a concussion and a broken rib.

And my mother was dead.

I blinked back a few tears, refusing to show any signs weakness. No, I'd mourn later for my mother, when I had some privacy.

Looking around more, I then realized that I was now alone. I stiffened in bed, and I heard the beeping of my heart monitor go up. Where was Dad? He said he'd stay with me. He said he wouldn't leave me alone... I sucked in a sharp breath, making my chest ache. Of course he wouldn't stay. He was my father, and the mayor- he had better things to do than wait around for me to wake up.

All of the sudden, the door to my hospital room creaked open, and my vision cleared just enough to see who it was. "Dad?" I whispered, trying not to seem too relieved. "Where… where have you been?"

My father, eyes wide, rushed over to me. "Hiccup, you're awake! I was wondering when you would. Mm, you've been out cold for about twelve hours, now."

I bit my lip, still slightly upset he didn't apologize for not staying with me. "Oh."

There was a long silence between us. Finally, Dad cleared his throat and spoke again. "I was just checking up with the doctors to see how you were doing healthwise," he explained, sitting down in a sofa chair in front of me. "If I knew you'd wake up while I was gone, I wouldn't have left in the first place."

I felt a little burst of joy ripple through my heart. So he had been planning to stay. "Yeah, I… I figured as much," I lied, wincing when my left leg pounded beneath the covers. "So… um…" I couldn't think of a way to start a conversation, so I gave up, trailing off.

"Hmm… oh, yes, I forgot to tell you," Dad started excitedly, and leaned forward. "You'll be taken off your oxygen machine tomorrow. The doctors just need to make sure your broken rib won't affect your asthma in the future before they make any drastic changes."

Surprised, I looked up. He knew about my asthma? He hadn't mentioned it in years, so I had guessed he'd forgotten.

Dad smiled faintly at my expression and tipped his head. "Oh, and one more thing. You have quite a few visitors out in the hall waiting for you."

I blinked. "What?"

My father grinned, standing up. "I never knew you had so many friends!"

"I didn't either," I muttered, still confused.

"For now, though, only family is allowed," Dad continued, oblivious to my words. "So your school friends won't be able to see you today. But your cousin, Simon, can. In fact, he's waiting out in the hall for you right now."

I stiffened, and again the beeping of my heart monitor slowly picked up speed. Why did Snotlout want to see me? Hadn't he abused me enough?

"Hiccup?" Dad interrupted my thoughts, cocking his head. "What's wrong?"

I gave a tiny shrug. "Nothing…" No. He couldn't know about the bullying. Not yet, at least.

"All right, son. I'll tell Simon to come in now." Dad smiled and backed away towards the door. "It's nice to know that you two boys are getting along!"

I raised my brow, uneasy with my father's sudden eagerness. Usually, he was a gruff, silent but commanding man, who never let any emotions show in any situation. It unnerved me that he had changed so much since I had been in the crash. And still, one thought nagged at my mind. Did he even miss Mom, now that she was gone? He didn't show any traces of sadness, and it made me angry. She was his _wife._

I opened my mouth to ask him, but the next thing I knew was that Dad had opened my hospital door, and in came my dear cousin Snotlout.

In a word, he was nervous, though I couldn't see why. He had no reason to feel like that- really, _I_ should have been the nervous one. He had bullied me for years, either with words or with his fists. I was always the targeted person, not him. But now, as he looked over at me as I laid stiffly my bed, he truly looked uneasy.

"Simon," Dad acknowledged, sticking out his hand. "Good to see you again."

Snotlout smiled a little and shook Dad's hand with his own. "Likewise, Uncle Stoick."

"Well, then! I'll just leave you and Hiccup be now," my father said, starting to exit my room despite my frightened gaze. "You probably have a lot to catch up on. All right, Simon, come on out when you're done, okay?"

Nodding, Snotlout put his hands in his jacket pockets. "Sure."

Dad brightened, and after waving me a goodbye, he left.

I swallowed, looking over at Snotlout once Dad was gone. My cousin stood at the foot of my bed, his gaze pointed down at the floor, and his hands stuffed in his red sweatshirt. He didn't have that smug expression anymore- it was replaced with a guilty one. After a moment, I decided to speak, so I could get rid of the icy silence in the room. "So… what's happened at school lately?" My voice shook slightly at the words because as much I hated to admit it, I was still quite scared of Snotlout. "Anything new?"

Snotlout looked up in surprise. "You were hit by a car, Hiccup."

"Yeah," I grunted. "I know. I was there."

Sighing, my cousin ran a hand down his face. "You… you lost your leg… your mother's gone, _everything's_ changed. What do you think the whole school has been talking about for this past week? Believe me, everyone felt really bad when they heard the news about the crash."

I winced at the mention of my late mother but didn't let any more emotion show.

"Hiccup, I'm- I'm here to apologize," Snotlout breathed, turning to me with his arms outstretched. "I've been pretty mean to you for these past few years, for no reason at all. And the other guys are upset about it too. Especially Dagur."

"What? Why?" I asked, more confused than ever. Snotlout had just apologized to me for once, actually acted _remorseful_ , the whole school knew about my condition and felt bad about it, and now Dagur, the meanest boy next to Snotlout, was sorry as well?

Snotlout looked shocked. "You didn't hear the news?"

"Hear _what_ news _?_ Why does nothing you say make sense?"

"Oh, gosh…" My cousin shook his head. "Dagur's older half-sister, Heather Berserk, was driving the red car that hit you and your mom. And since Dagur's related to her, he feels like it's somehow his fault for causing you all of… _this_."

Surprised at the connection, I sat the whole way up in bed, struggling to get ahold of my thoughts. So _that_ was who had hit us. Dagur's sister. "Well…" I breathed in and out heavily. "Is she… is she okay? She was in the crash too, after all."

Snotlout nodded but seemed worried by my uneven breaths. "Uh, yeah, she's fine now. She was only knocked out for a few minutes and woke up with a concussion and some bruised ribs. Nothing major, though."

I bit my lip, relieved that another person hadn't suffered as well. "Good."

My cousin waited a moment before going on. "Yeah, and, um… I have a message for you from someone." He paused and seemed hesitant to share it. "It's from Astrid. You know, since she couldn't come in here and tell you herself."

I couldn't help it. I gasped. "What?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know you're probably surprised," Snotlout rambled on, waving me off. "But, just calm down and I'll tell you what she said."

I realized that my breaths were turning over to ragged gasps, and I knew I needed to calm down before a doctor came in. I took in a breath and tried to relax my mind. "Okay… so, what did she want to tell me?"

Snotlout shrugged. "She wanted to say that she was sorry for the crash, and she feels bad for, well, _ignoring_ you for the past years." He scratched under his chin. "And she said she'll visit you when you're allowed to have guests."

My eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah."

I leaned back into my pillow, my mind still buzzing from the news. "Well." I tried not to show much excitement, but it was nearly impossible. "Oh, and, um, thanks for telling me. You can tell her that I said-"

"Look, Hiccup, I'm not a messenger boy," Snotlout interrupted, putting his hands up in defense. "I'll just say that you agreed. Anyway…" He rubbed his neck uncomfortably. "You know… my apology still stands."

I found myself slowly smiling. "Thanks."

"Of course." Snotlout began to back away, headed towards the door. "I guess I'll see myself out, then. Feel better, cuz. Sorry about… everything." And with one last nod, he opened the door and saw himself out.

Once he was gone, it didn't take too long before Dad came back in. He had a forced cheerful expression on as he entered, and he grinned when he saw me. "Did you and your cousin have a nice chat?"

I shrugged. "I guess."

Dad nodded, walking up to his chair. "Good. Good, good..."

Sighing, I curled my fingers around the sheets of my bed. "Dad… can I… can I ask you something?" I needed to know whether or not his 'compassion' for me was real, or see if he was just pretending.

"Sure, son," Dad agreed, sitting down in his chair. "Speak your mind."

I looked down at my lap. "Why did you change all of the sudden?" I asked quietly, my voice low. "For the past few years, y-you haven't exactly been… you know… like _this_." I swallowed. "I just… I need to know if all of this is all real. It seems that every time I get my hopes up high on something being good, something else interferes and turns everything against me. And-"

"Hiccup." Dad cut me off, his voice not betraying any emotions. "I _do_ care for you. A lot. I know… I know I haven't been the best father…" I glared down at my hands but allowed him to continue. "But," he was saying, carefully picking out his words, "I'm trying to make it better now."

 _You can't erase all that hurt, though,_ I wanted to say back. _You ignored me for years._ Years, _Dad. I can't forget about all of that._ I looked up at my father, who was staring at me with wide eyes. "What about Mom?" I whispered. "It's like you've avoided talking about her completely ever since the crash."

Dad looked sorrowful to have that reminder and clasped his hands against each other. "I do miss her," he choked out. "I miss her greatly. But, to not dwell on the past, I have to tell myself that she's not coming back. Valka's not coming back…" He closed his eyes, and for a moment, there was silence. "I still have you, though, Hiccup, and you're all I need right now."

Blinking, I cocked my head. It still felt awkward when I was around my father and he was acting this way. "What about…" I hesitated, not wanting to go on. "What about her… her funeral? When will that be?"

Dad opened his eyes at this, and let out a slight cough. "When you're back up on your feet, we'll have it."

I raised my brow.

My father sighed shakily. " _Foot_ , that is." He looked back up at me, eyes full of concern. "For now on, Hiccup, I want you to be open with me about your mother," he ordered, straightening. "We should… _talk_ about these things, father to son."

Rubbing my nose, I felt tears threaten to fall. "I… I miss her," I admitted. "Everything's happening so quickly… I-I still can't believe I lost my leg… and now that Mom's gone, it's hard to… to get by… she was always there for me, and…"

Dad stood up, and much to my surprise, he leaned over and took me in his arms. I don't know why, but I started to sob. This was all so new. Dad had never given me much attention before; it was Mom who I could go to if I was feeling down, but now the world had changed.

Everything was different.

And I couldn't do anything about it.

"It's okay to cry, Hiccup," Dad soothed, gently rubbing my back as he held me close to his chest, sitting down on the bed. "I miss her too… and I'm... I'm so sorry all of this had to happen before I-I-I realized how much you mean to me…"

Breathing in and out, I tried to slow down my tears, but it was impossible. "I missed you too, Dad," I hiccuped, clutching him tighter. "I missed you…"

Dad froze, and let out a pained breath before speaking. "I'm so sorry… I'll try to make it up to you if I can… you're- you're the one thing left in life that I truly care about… I'll protect you from now on, Hiccup. I won't lose you too..."

"Thanks, Dad…," I murmured, my eyes closed tightly as my head rested against his warm chest. My sobs gradually shortened, but I didn't pull away, even after half an hour of him sitting there and rocking back and forth.

Because... for the first time in forever... I felt that my father actually loved me.


	7. Something To Live For

"Mr. Haddock? You have a visitor."

I looked up from doodling in my notebook to the nurse who stood in the doorway, her hands folded neatly at her middle. I blinked. "Visitor? I didn't know I could have guests yet."

It had been just two days before that Snotlout visited, and my father and I had talked about… _things_. I wondered who it could be. I didn't have any friends at school, or anyone that really would take the time of day to push aside their plans to come and see me.

"Yes, it was just decided early this morning," the nurse explained, giving me a warm smile. "You're already doing better, so Doctor Bennett decided-"

"Doctor Bennett?" I cut in, confused. "Who's that?"

The nurse smiled gently. "The man who's been taking care of you."

Oh. _That_ doctor.

I nodded slowly. "Uh, sure. You can send them in. My dad'll be back soon, anyway." Dad was at home right now, grabbing a few of my old items like clothes, books, and journals to keep me from going mad with boredom.

"All right, sweetie. Feel better." The nurse swung open the door, and in came-

Amanda Hofferson. And with her… dog?

I stifled a gasp, sitting up in bed. My notebook slid off my lap and my pen fell to the floor. "A-Astrid?" I stuttered, painfully aware of my unkempt-hospital look. "Hi, Astrid… hi, Astrid, hey, Astrid…" My ears burned. I felt like an idiot.

Astrid didn't seem to mind, though, still composing a calm look. "Hey."

The nurse winked in my direction, making me redden even more. "I'll leave you two alone now." She closed the door.

I swallowed, trying to figure out what to say next. Astrid beat me to it, though. "This here is Stormfly," she explained, gesturing to the giant yellow dog that stood beside her. "She's an Akita. Thoroughbred."

Breathing in and out heavily, I managed to nod. "She's… beautiful."

She smirked, approaching my side of the bed. "Yeah. She's somewhat of a caregiver dog. I take her to the hospital sometimes to visit patients. It improves their mood a lot of the time."

I bit my lip, deflating. So that was the only reason she was here.

Astrid seemed to sense my disappointment and shook her head, inviting herself onto the chair next to my bed. "But I also personally wanted to check up on you, Hiccup," she said. Her braid slipped over her shoulder as she shrugged. "I'm sorry about the car crash, and your leg."

Wincing, I looked down at my hands. "Yeah."

"And… your mom, too." She inhaled. "Hiccup, I just want to let you know that I'm here for you if you want to… you know, _talk_ about anything. My uncle just recently died too, so maybe we could both help each other out."

My eyes widened, and I looked back up at her. She was staring straight at me, waiting for an answer. "You… you would want to hang out with _me?"_ I repeated. "But I'm… I'm not…"

"Oh, hush. You're practically the most popular person in school right now," she chided, waving me off. "Ever since the car crash, that is."

I felt my heartbeat speed up. "What?"

Astrid gave me a cocky smile. "Yeah. Everyone's talking about you. You're almost like some type of superhero." She hesitated. "Oh, and Hiccup, I.-"

The door suddenly opened. My head jolted up and I recognized by father entering the room with a box full of my things. He was whistling loudly but stopped when he saw Astrid. "Who's this?" he asked me, voice full of bewilderment. "Another friend?"

Astrid stood up, holding out her hand. "Amanda Hofferson. You can call me Astrid, though."

Dad released one hand from gripping the box he was holding, and the two shook hands. "I'm Hiccup's father," he smiled. "Lovely to meet you, Amanda."

" _Astrid_ ," I reminded him. Both Astrid and my father turned to me, looking confused. I reddened. "Her… her nickname is Astrid, I mean."

Dad cocked his head. "Alright. Astrid, then." After an awkward moment, he cleared his throat. "Well, I'm back from getting your things, Hiccup. I got a few of your old shirts and jeans in here… plus some of those books and journals of yours." He nodded to the box as he set it down on my bed.

I offered a weak smile. "Thanks, Dad."

Astrid started to back towards the door. "Well, if you and your dad want to talk, I can go."

 _No!_ I thought anxiously. _You just got here._ But it was best that she left now anyways, I reminded myself, before I did something stupid. Again.

It took all my willpower to nod. "Yeah. I guess I'll see you soon."

"All right, then." Astrid pulled Stormfly over to the door, and the dog followed behind. Astrid waved me goodbye. "Remember what I said earlier. If you need to talk about anything, tell me. I'll give the front desk my number, and they can give it to you."

I felt myself beginning to blush. A girl was going to give me her number. And this was Astrid Hofferson. The most popular girl in the school. I'd never have guessed this could have happened. "Okay," I agreed, fighting back a nervous tone.

She grinned. "Talk later, Hiccup."

Just as she was about to leave, Dad stopped her. "Are dogs allowed in the hospital?" he asked, and pointed to Stormfly. "I didn't think they could be in here."

Astrid's hand dropped from the doorknob as she shrugged. "Oh, Stormfly's a special dog. She has a certificate which allows her to enter hospitals and visit patients. You see, she's kind of like an emotional support dog."

Dad folded his arms, looking intrigued. "Really? There are dogs that do that?"

Nodding, Astrid opened the door. "Yup." She smiled. "Well, it's time for me to go, I guess. My mom's waiting for me in the car."

"Bye," I whispered, unable to raise my voice over the shock of what had just happened.

Another wave of her hand and then she was gone. Dad turned around, cocking an eyebrow. "Astrid Hofferson... hmm. Seems like a nice girl. Hmm. So." He cleared his throat and crossed his arms. "Anything you, uh, want to talk about, son?"

I coughed. "No."

But I was smiling.

* * *

The next day, I was taken off my oxygen machine and moved into my hospital room. I learned that the room I had been staying in was the recovery room, a place where they had kept me in until my blood pressure, pulse, and breathing were checked. But now that I was in the clear, I was placed in the healing ward.

I was moved into my own personal quarters, rather than rooming with someone else as usual. I figured Dad had pulled a few strings because I was the mayor's son. But right after we made the move, he left with an "errand" to do.

I was alone.

And I was bored. And cranky. The nurses practically had to force feed me my pills at lunch, putting me in a sour mood. I wished I could get out of bed and start practicing with my prosthetic- which was due in any day now-, but Doctor Bennett told me that I had to wait a little longer before starting. I hadn't been happy.

Finally, after a whole afternoon of doing nothing, my dad returned. As he came into the room, I saw two things. One: an extremely wide smile on his face. Two: a large box.

I narrowed my eyes. "Hi."

"Hello, Hiccup!" Dad cheerfully edged himself into my room, closing the door behind him. "I've got a surprise for you."

Surprised, I set aside the journal I was writing in. "What do you mean? Is this... 'surprise'… in the box you're holding?"

My father nodded and set the box down on my bed. "You're going to love it," he said, before looking thoughtful. "At least, I think you will. It'll help cheer you up, son. I think it's _just_ the thing you need."

Now I was curious. "Okay… so what is it?"

Beaming, Dad placed his hands on the top of the box. "Surprise!"

And then he opened it.

I nearly gasped. Because right inside the box, there was a dog. It looked not to still be a puppy but was still plenty young in its years. It was black, small, and its tail was thumping against the side of the box eagerly.

"Dad, I…" I inspected the dog again. My breath hitched. "I…"

"I knew you'd like it!" My father grinned, scooping the black dog out from the box and cradling it in his giant arms. "I know it's not the prettiest pup, but he's apparently well trained and a German Shepherd mix. Those dogs learn fast."

My eyes bulged as Dad walked over with the black puppy. "W-what's his name?"

Dad dropped the dog on my lap, where it immediately began to nibble at my hospital sheets. I couldn't hold back the laugh that itched to come out. The pup seemed determined to tear the fabric apart.

"Toothless."

I looked up at my dad, confused. "What?"

Dad shrugged. "That's what they told me his name was. Toothless. I'm sure there's a good story behind that, but unfortunately, I didn't have time to get it." He shifted his shoulders. "So, I've got his papers all signed… he's officially a Haddock! Oh, and he's also certificated to be an… emotional-support dog, was it? Yes, I believe that's it. He can stay with you for the rest of your time here, if you'd like. The doctor has already agreed."

I could hardly believe it. "Thanks, Dad." I was more grateful than I could put in words. "This is really… _nice_ of you." I started to scratch at Toothless's chin, and he stopped biting the sheets for a few seconds to lick my fingers.

Maybe… maybe I was wrong. Maybe there was just more than one thing to live for. I had my father, and now I had Toothless.

I smiled.

And with them... living just didn't seem so hard anymore.


	8. Right Here

**I'm back from hiatus, guys! Miss me? Huh? *silence* Mmhmm. That's what I thought. *grins***

 **Well, enjoy this welcome-back chapter of mine (sort of a filler, though, because next chapter will be much better), and thanks for your support last time!**

* * *

 **Chapter Eight: Right Here**

It was later that night that Dad really started to get on my nerves.

He wouldn't stop asking me if I was all right, if I needed anything, and if he could hold Toothless. Oh, and if I wanted anything more to eat. I said no, but he was still welcome to it.

But he didn't stop. So I snapped back with, "Dad, I'm _fine._ " I scooted up higher in bed as he tried again to offer me some more water. "I already had something to drink a few minutes ago."

Dad furrowed his brow, setting the water cup down on my table. "Are you sure you don't need anything else? Anything at all?"

I sighed overdramatically, scratching at the sleeping Toothless's side. " _Yes_ … and, Dad, you really don't have to stay here _again_ all night. You should go home and have a real rest. You deserve it."

My father cocked an eyebrow as he sat down in the chair on the other side of the room. "Nonsense!" He shifted into a more comfortable position. "I'd feel much better here than I would at home. Besides, I'd be worried if I left you alone. Don't know what doctors are doing these days..."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. But don't blame me if your back's sore in the morning." Yawning, I sunk down into bed. With the little window allowing me to see outside from the right side of the room, I could tell that it was already night out. A nurse had already given me my last round of pills for the night, with an order that I should get to bed straight away. I had readily agreed. My eyelids begged to close as I yawned, and Dad chuckled.

"Let's get some sleep now, son."

Smiling drowsily, I leaned over to my right to turn off the lamp that was still shining. The room grew dark, and soon the only sound became Toothless's happy snores. I sunk back in bed, enjoying the warm pillows.

"Night, Hiccup," my dad whispered.

"Night." In moments, sleep claimed me.

* * *

 _In my dream, I was six again. I had just walked up to Dad, who was in the kitchen, and was sucking on my trembling shaking thumb. "Daddy?" I rasped. "I… I..."_

 _My father huffed from his spot at the counter, still going through his paperwork. "Go away, Hiccup," he said, not even turning around. "I'm doing something important."_

 _Tears filled my eyes, and I let out a whine. Mom had just left for a several day business trip, stranding me alone with Dad for a few days. But my father hadn't paid any attention to him. He barely even remembered to get me something to eat before going to work. "But, I…" I felt a churning in my stomach. "Daddy… I don't feel so good."_

 _My dad stiffened, and he growled. "Hiccup. I'm the mayor of Berk. If I don't do this paperwork by tomorrow morning, I could lose my job."_

" _But_ _D-Daddy…" Six-year-old me's voice cracked. "Hurts…"_

" _I don't have time for this, Hiccup!" my dad yelled, swerving to me from his chair. He stood and towered over my figure. "Go to bed!"_

 _The sick feeling worsened, and my legs nearly buckled. "Daddy… don't feel… don't feel..." My body convulsed and I retched all over the floor. My skin burned, and I felt faint._

 _Dad's eyes only flashed with annoyance. "Oh, now I have to deal with this too, do I?" He gestured to the spot I had been sick on, scowling._

" _Sorry, Daddy," I whimpered. I clutched my stomach. "J-just don't feel good…"_

 _My father glared. "Just go to bed, Hiccup." He turned away to get the cleaning supplies. "I've already had enough to deal with."_

" _But, Mommy… she always gives me medicine."_

 _Dad shot me a pointed glare. "Well then, you'll just have to wait, Hiccup. I have your mess to clean up."_

 _Sniffing, I started to back up towards the stairs. "Wish… Mommy was here…"_

" _What was that?" His tone was colder than ice._

" _Want Mommy."_

 _My father grumbled something incoherent, grabbing a roll of paper towels from under the sink. "We can't have everything we want in life, Hiccup. Your mother is on a very important business trip now, and you need to respect that."_

 _I bowed my head and turned to go upstairs. "Okay, but... please come soon with… medicine…"_

 _If there was any remorse, I didn't catch it._ " _Fine."_

 _That night, six-year-old me laid awake in bed for a long time, wondering when Dad would come to bring medicine for him. But after hearing his father's door close from across the hall a few hours later, he knew that the medicine wasn't coming anytime soon._

 _I was sick three more times that night. I didn't wake up Dad at all._

* * *

With a jump, my eyes snapped open and I gasped. Dad had never come.

 _Dad had never come._

Tears burned in my eyes, and I huddled over in my spot on the bed, clutching myself. Dad didn't want me. I was just a burden to him. His paperwork was even more interesting than I was, as he had clearly demonstrated.

I inhaled shakily, trying to clear my head. _Calm down, Hiccup. Don't be weak... he won't want you anymore if you are..._

"Hiccup?" Dad's voice came from the other side of the room. "Is that you? Mm, I thought that I heard you..."

I wondered if I should answer, but based on my heavy breathing I guessed he'd find out anyway. "Yeah." I squinted, trying to make him out in the dark. I could vaguely see him sitting up in his chair, but otherwise, the room was too poorly lit to make anything else out.

"What happened?" he asked, and I could hear him starting to get out of his chair. "Are you in pain?"

"No."

"Then what happened?"

I looked down at my lap, and I could hear Toothless's breathing from my side. "I just had a bad dream." I shrugged. "There's really nothing to talk about."

Dad stood from his chair and walked over to my bed. He flicked on the lamp, letting me see his tangled beard and sleepy expression. He rubbed his eyes. "Do you want to have something to eat? Talk about it?"

I shook my head. "Nah, I'm fine." When he still didn't go away, I raised my brow. "Really. I am."

My father folded his arms. "Usually when you say that, you're not fine." He sighed. "Come on, son. Out with it."

"There's nothing to talk about. I don't remember."

"What do you mean, you don't remember?"

"I just... don't. All I know is that I had a bad dream, and woke up scared."

He looked at me for a long time, before reaching out to press his palm against my forehead. When there were no signs of fever, he sighed. "I know that's not true, Hiccup. You can talk to me, you know. I know you haven't reached out before, but... maybe you could try."

I turned away. "Alright, fine." I looked down. "I...I had a memory of when I was little."

There was a beat. "What was it about?"

I started to stroke Toothless's side, each motion getting quicker with every word. "It was only a few months after you became mayor. I… I was six. Mom had gone on a business trip for a few days, leaving me with you, and… I got sick."

I looked up at Dad to see him with a pained expression. "I think I remember this," he said. "You were sick, and I cleaned the floor up after you threw up, then I went back to my paperwork. I lost track of time, and worked for the next few hours."

Nodding, I swallowed again. "I guess so."

My dad seemed confused, but then his eyes widened. "Oh. Please tell me I didn't forget to…"

I laid my head back on my pillow, staring at the ceiling. "Yeah."

"Hiccup, I never meant to forget," Dad said anxiously. "I… I just… I was so wrapped up in my paperwork that I…"

"It's okay," I interrupted, though it wasn't. "You didn't mean to forget. I understand."

Dad sighed. "No, it's not okay, Hiccup. I should have been there for you while you were sick. I was-" He stopped himself, and his eyes dropped. "No, I _am_ a terrible father."

I looked over at him, and found myself smiling faintly. I just couldn't stay angry for long at a man who was trying so hard. The past was the past, and he had changed a lot in this past month. Besides, he was all I had left. I couldn't lose him now."No, you're not. You've been here this whole time, Dad. And I…" My voice started to shake. "You've-you've just always been right here for me through this. With Mom, and my leg, and this stay in the hospital..."

My father looked as if a great weight had been relieved from his shoulders. After smiling back, he placed a hand on my shoulder. "And here I'll stay," he agreed. "Well, as long as you want me to."

"Thanks, Dad," I breathed, my eyelids getting heavy once more. I wanted to hold onto something before I went to sleep, though. I needed some sense of security. And before I could stop myself, I blurted out, "I love you."

Dad looked surprised, but then he slowly looked touched. "I love you too, son," he whispered. "And when you wake up in the morning, I'll be right here, waiting for you. Always."

I grinned sleepily. "Okay."

My father ran a soothing hand through my tangled hair, and as my eyelids finally closed, he repeated, "Right here. Always."

The words echoed throughout my mind, constantly ringing, shouting, growing, and spreading. I smiled.

 _Always._


	9. Big Steps

***kicks down door* I'm baaaaaaaaaccccccccckk! Miss me? Of course you did! :P Anywho, thanks for waiting for me to update- sorry it's taken a bit longer than usual, I've been having some breathing problems lately, so it's been hard to find the time to write.-, but here's the next chapter for you lovely people!**

* * *

 **Chapter Nine: Big Steps**

"It's here."

I looked up at Dr. Bennett who had just entered the room, holding a large brown box in his hands. I cocked my head. "What's here?"

Dr. Bennett dropped the box onto the edge of my bed. "Your new prosthetic. Hiccup." He paused, smiling. "You start your physical therapy today."

Dad reacted before I had the chance to. "That's great!" he boomed, standing up from his chair. The napping Toothless was still fast asleep on the footrest behind him. I chuckled before returning my attention to Dad and Doctor Bennett. "You'll be able to walk again soon, Hiccup," Dad went on. "Aren't you excited?" His face was eager, but I found myself struggling for a reply.

"Yeah… I-I guess I am," I said weakly. But I wasn't. Losing my leg had been a huge change in my life, and now that I had to walk with a prosthetic rather than a regular foot… it was just a big step I wasn't sure I was ready for yet.

Dr. Bennett smiled in support, opening up the box's top. "Don't worry, Hiccup. It's quite comfortable."

I nodded silently, not trusting myself to speak.

He reached inside the box and grabbed the prosthetic from the bottom, bringing it upwards and into my vision. I couldn't help but admire how well made it was. It was a fine color of silver, not too long but not too short, lots of gadgets were wedged inside the interior, and I could also see it had a flat top where the plastic covering around my leg would go.

"Here, slide to the edge of the bed." Dr. Bennett gestured for me to come forward.

I threw aside my hospital sheets, and put my legs- _leg,_ I reminded myself- over the edge of the bed. I wanted to stand. I wanted to walk. Run. Dance. Do _anything_ standing up. I was desperate after weeks of being bedridden.

Dr. Bennett moved towards me with the prosthetic in hand, and I glanced away. I couldn't look at my missing leg. It seemed too deformed to possibly be a part of myself.

Dad came to the other side of the bed, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. I was glad for the comfort and unconsciously leaned back into his grip. His fingers tightened in acknowledgment.

Suddenly, there was the cool feeling of a slit of rubber being pulled around my stump, and I grimaced, still refusing to look down at it. Sure, the extra coating would make the prosthetic less itchy against my skin, but I hated how I needed all of this just to do something as simple as stand.

"Relax, Hiccup," Dad soothed. "You're tense."

I nodded and looked down at my lap.

Dr. Bennett, once he had applied the rubber around my stump, wrapped a cloth under and around it in preparation for the real prosthetic to go on. I gritted my teeth, praying for it be over soon.

The straps readied around my prosthetic, and I flinched. Dad patted my back, but it didn't help my tingling nerves. Dr. Bennett wrapped the straps around the coating and then attached the whole prosthetic when all was done.

I wiggled my left leg afterward, still not looking at it. It felt weird; like I had a weight pulling me down. A very light weight, but it was still noticeable.

"And you're all done," Dr. Bennett said, standing back up. I looked over at him and saw he was smiling. I scowled. _I_ didn't feel happy.

"Good job, son," Dad grinned, ruffling my hair. "We'll have you walking in no time."

"Awesome," I said half-heartedly. "Can't wait."

Dr. Bennett pressed his lips together and studied my leg for a long moment before looking back at me. "We're going to try some physical therapy on you today, Hiccup. A few stretches to warm you up at first, and then you're going to try applying pressure on your prosthetic."

I cocked my head. "So… I might be able to stand today?"

He laughed, nodding. "Yes. If you do well with your warming up exercises, then you may even be able to start walking."

Determined to finally get out of bed, I nodded. The sorrow for my lost leg could wait. My patience of lying down for days on end could not. "Anything to get better again," I sighed. My voice grew meek. "I want to go home."

Dad patted me on the shoulder. This time, though, I knew it wasn't in support. He was sad. And he should be. When we would finally get home, nothing would be the same as it was before. Mom wouldn't be there to greet us at the door with her freshly baked cookies brought right out of the oven. She wouldn't be there to pamper me as I recovered from the loss of my leg, or check up at me at night to see how I was feeling. She wouldn't be there to calm down my father when he lost his temper, or break down the barrier that was once between us. She wouldn't be there at all.

 _It's a funny thing,_ I mused to myself, _how one day a person you love can be right beside you, supporting you, living with you, and the next day… they're just not._

Dad nodded. "I know." His voice quieted, and even the doctor's smile started to fade. "I know."

* * *

I got better with my prosthetic over the next few days. Dr. Bennett and the physical therapist woman I worked with both said I was doing great. I didn't feel pleased, though. I kept on falling over when I walked more than three steps.

Toothless helped a lot with my nightmares about Mom. He was actually pretty good at listening to me when Dad wasn't there.

* * *

I called Astrid one time and told her what was happening. The conversation ended up with me venting about my mother and how much I missed her.

She never interrupted once.

* * *

Mom's funeral came.

I was in a wheelchair at the ceremony, but Dad allowed me to stand up to say my final words to her before she was buried.

We had put her next to her deceased father and mother, and Toothless laid down on her grave for a while, occasionally licking at the stone. I would have laughed, but I was too busy gripping Dad's hand and trying not to cry. I failed, though, and he had to comfort me.

I could tell he wanted to cry too, but he never did.

At least that I heard of.

* * *

After the blur of the past days, I had finally settled into a steady routine: wake up. Get served breakfast from the same old nurses. Take my pills. Play with Toothless. Talk to Dad. Have physical therapy. Take more pills. Improve a little, but not a lot. Eat lunch. Go outside in my wheelchair with Dad and Toothless for a little while. Go back inside. Eat dinner. Take the last round of pills. Relax. Go to sleep.

By the time two weeks had ended, I was so sick of it that one day I refused to take my medication.

Dr. Bennett didn't agree with my decision, though, and neither did Dad. It took them over half hour of coaxing just for me to swallow my morning pills. I only did it when Toothless licked my hand. But of course, Dad and Dr. Bennett didn't know that.

* * *

Finally, there was a change in the everyday system, and soon after playing with Toothless in the morning, Dr. Bennett came in with a large clipboard and an even larger smile. "Mr. Haddock, Hiccup," he acknowledged while shutting the door behind him, "I'm happy to tell you I have some very good news."

Dad stood up from his chair, his belly swinging up and down in alternate motions. I wondered if he ever got tired of sitting down almost all day or concerned about his growing weight. But every time I asked him, he'd brush it off with an, "I'm _fine,_ Hiccup!"

"What news?" I asked, and sat up straighter in bed. My prosthetic pressed uncomfortably against my stump. I winced, stroking Toothless's black coat faster. He didn't mind, as he was too busy gnawing at a dog toy to notice.

Dr. Bennett came forwards into the room, grinning. "Seeing as you're doing better by the day with your prosthetic, and clearly have lots of emotional support around you," he gestured to Toothless and my dad, "it's just been decided that you'll be discharged from the hospital in a few days. You'll still need plenty of rest, and have to take medication for your leg for the next few months, but I think…"

My next thoughts drowned him out, and I found that my hands were shaking with glee. I was going to be released soon. Very soon, in fact. I could finally go home, spend a long day relaxing day inside with Toothless in my lap and Dad nearby in the house. It would be a much better change than the hospital setting.

"...pay up front later on," I suddenly heard Dr. Bennett tell Dad, and I looked up to see the two men quietly speaking with each other.

Dad nodded, but his expression looked a little strained. "Of course."

When the two realized I was watching them, they both gained matching forced smiles, which I rolled my eyes at. I wasn't a kid anymore. I knew a secret when I saw one. "So. How do you feel, Hiccup? Ready to go home?" Dad asked, obviously changing the subject.

I matched his forced grin with one of my own. "I sure am."

"Good, good…" Dad trailed off, and the doctor cleared his throat.

"Well, we'll have another physical therapy session later on, Hiccup," Dr. Bennett told me, his hand now gripping the door handle behind him. "One more test run, and then we'll give you a break for a few days." He sent me a wink, brushing his thick brown hair back around his ears. "It's been nice working with you, kiddo, but I hope I won't see you back in here anytime soon after you're released. You've had enough medical problems for a lifetime."

I laughed. "Yeah, I guess so. Talk later, Dr. Bennett."

He waved, opening the door. "Sure."

Then he was gone, leaving Dad and me alone.

Immediately after, of course, Dad started to ramble on of how happy and how proud he was of me coming this far, but I didn't listen to a word he said. His earlier conversation with the doctor, only a minute before, still bothered me, and I couldn't get it out of my thoughts.

Because despite my father's large smiles and hearty laughs, I knew something was wrong. Very wrong.

But I didn't ask, and he didn't tell me.

I didn't think we were ready to take big steps towards each other anymore. If he didn't trust me... then I didn't know if I could trust him.

* * *

 **Thoughts? Please review! :)**


	10. That Heavy Feeling

**SORRY FOR THE LONGISH WAIT AND THIS CRAPPY CHAPTER. I AM SLEEP DEPRIVED, AND HAVE ALSO BEEN BUSY WITH CAMP AND THINGS, SO I BARELY HAVE HAD TIME TO WRITE. I AM SORRY.** **THAT IS ALL ON THAT.**

 **THANK YOU ANIMALSAREPEOPLETOO, WOLF OF THE DEMISE, DEVUFAIRY, HANIKAHTHEWRITER, KATURDI, FANWRITER02, LIGHTFOOTK, SMOE05, THEGOODTHEBADANDTHEUGLY12, GUEST, MADE FOR MORE, AND FIRERUBY (GUEST) FOR REVIEWING! (YES I AM SORT OF BACK TO SHOUTOUTS, YAY.)**

 **OKAY, I'LL TURN OFF CAPS LOCK NOW AND LET YOU ALL ENJOY THIS POOR LITTLE CHAPTER. *hides***

* * *

 **Chapter Ten: That Heavy Feeling**

The day of my release wasn't ceremonious in the slightest. At first, I thought it'd be, knowing Dad's enthusiasm of my coming home, but for some reason, he held back and only gave me a few gigantic smiles and pats on the back.

I was to be rolled out of the lobby and to Dad's car in a wheelchair, as I couldn't fully support myself while walking- plus, my side was still sore from my broken rib- but he simply scooped me and Toothless up, put us in the passenger seat, and then folded up the wheelchair and put it in the trunk.

After that, I thought Dad would immediately come back in the car to drive me home. We had been preparing my release all morning, after all, and we were both more than ready to leave. But before he did, he started to head back inside the hospital, which made me frown. I rolled down my window and called out, "Where are you going, Dad?"

Dad slightly turned his head to me, his red beard shifting on his chest. "Just a little personal business, Hiccup," he returned. "Wait here."

I raised my brow, leaning back into my seat with a sigh. "Sure, Dad. I can go absolutely _anywhere_ with my new leg."

Either he didn't feel like talking to me while I was in my "sarcastic phase", or he didn't hear me, but he continued walking and soon entered through the automatic doors back inside the hospital lobby. I let out a wistful sigh, letting myself sink back into the seat's soft embrace. That was one of the ups of having a mayor for a father. He had enough money to make almost everything you owned comfortable.

I then started to think about what would happen after I fully recovered from my leg.

Would I go back to school now? So much had changed since I had first gone… since the crash happened. And would Snotlout and the other boys really stop picking on me? Maybe Snotlout had just been sympathetic in the beginning. Maybe there was nothing more. Maybe everything would be as it was before... I didn't put it out of the question.

There was also Astrid. She had never so much looked in my direction in years, and then suddenly she was one of my closest friends. It was… almost uncomfortable. We had never really spoken about life before the crash, and still, some things needed to be cleared up and talked over.

My thoughts were interrupted by the scuffling of Toothless from beside me. The dog had somehow managed to climb off my lap without me noticing, and ended up in the driver's seat, gnawing on the armrest nonchalantly.

"Toothless!" I quickly grabbed him away from the seat, dropping him back on my lap. "You can't eat that!"

Toothless cocked his head, his black orbs of eyes sparkling with excitement. He tried to pull away again, but I held him tighter. "No, bud- Dad won't like you eating his-" I stopped. Because when I looked back over at the chewed armrest, I realized a huge chunk of it was missing.

My eyes widened. Toothless had eaten part of the seat.

Before I had time to react, though, the opening of the hospital's automatic doors distracted me from the situation, and I looked up to see Dad coming my way. His face was almost solemn as he trudged over to the car, hard eyes unreadable. I knew he'd only be in a worse mood when he knew what Toothless had done.

Dad pushed open the car door, seeming preoccupied with his thoughts when he looked down and saw the chewed spot Toothless had made on his armrest. At first, he froze, almost looking shocked. I flinched and held Toothless closer to me. "I'm so sorry, Dad," I managed to breathe out. "But Toothless, he… he…"

My father's face switched to a countenance of humor, and he started to laugh, to my surprise.

"You're not… mad?" I asked, hopefulness edging into my tone.

Dad glanced up at me, still chuckling. "Son," he said, placing a meaty hand on my shoulder. "Sometimes... you just have to laugh…"

A slow grin came to my face, and I felt relieved. Good. He wasn't angry. _But he would have been if this was before the car crash,_ a voice in my head whispered. I stiffened, grimacing. _You know it's true,_ the voice went on. _The only reason your father cares so much is that he_ pities _you._

"Hiccup?"

I looked back up into Dad's eyes, not realizing I had drifted off.

"You all right, son?"

"Yeah, I'm-"

Suddenly, Toothless began to make retching noises, and my attention quickly returned to him. My eyes widened, and I fumbled to get the other car door open in time. "Toothless, no!" I yelped, finally flinging the door wide open so I could let Toothless be sick outside.

But it was too late. The heaving dog retched all over the floor of the car, regurgitating different pieces of the armrest he had eaten.

I slumped back into my seat, eyes wide. When I glanced over at Dad, he didn't look any better. Toothless, although, barked happily and thumped his tail against my lap. He looked at his mess, then back to me, eyes shining with excitement. When I didn't react, Toothless woofed again, this time more impatient.

At this, I couldn't help it. I was laughing.

And soon enough, Dad and I both were.

* * *

"Next time Toothless does something like that again, Hiccup, _you're_ going to clean it up."

I looked up sheepishly from Toothless to Dad, who was staring at me through the rear-view mirror. "I know, Dad. He's my dog, and-and I didn't expect him to… you know."

Dad nodded, taking a left turn on the road ahead. "Ah, well, all is forgiven. You know, son, I used to have a pup of my own when I was your age. His name was Skullcrusher, and we got along just as well as you and Toothless do."

I cocked my head. "What happened to him?"

Dad smiled sadly, sparing me a glance away from the road. "He got old, Hiccup. He got old, and passed away in peace."

For a minute, there was silence in the car between us, and the only sound heard was Toothless's faint whining. It turned out he wasn't quite used to cars, yet, and was having trouble accustoming to being in one. I stroked his fur gently, and it helped him relax a bit. Once he was settled down, I looked back up and was surprised to find a camera in my father's hand, its lens glass aimed directly in our direction.

I frowned. "What-?"

"Smile, son!" Dad grinned mischievously and flashed a photo of the two of us sitting side by side. I barely was able to put on an awkward grin in time.

Still confused, I cocked an eyebrow. "What was that for?"

"Because today…" Dad smiled and reached over to ruffle my hair. And he managed to before I pulled away. "...you've finally been released from the hospital. You're healed."

 _Maybe physically,_ the voice hissed in my head, _but not mentally. You can't forget your own mother... can you?_

I froze, and Dad immediately noticed my sudden pallor. "Hiccup? Are you all right? You're looking a little pale there, son."

I leaned back into my seat, feeling sick with an overbearing sense of grief. After closing my eyes, I felt a bit better, but not much. "Fine," I managed out, once again sensing that heavy feeling that wrapped around my heart. Mom was gone for good. I wouldn't see her again. I wouldn't open my eyes in the morning to find her giving me breakfast-in-bed, or stroking my hair. I wouldn't go to school again with that comforting feeling that she would be there to pick me up at the end of the day.

Dad didn't speak to me for the rest of the ride home, and I was grateful too. I couldn't have spoken if the world depended on it. Toothless nudged my hand a few times in concern, but I ignored him.

Finally, the car pulled to a stop, and I peeked open my eyes to see my house sitting before me.

It didn't look any different than the last time I had seen it. Sure, there were a few overgrown patches of weeds here and there, and the driveway looked unused, as it had been vacated for weeks, but the whole setting was exactly the same.

I suddenly got angry. So much had changed, and still, everything looked so much the same. Mom deserved better than that. She couldn't be forgotten that easily. _Your father doesn't care about her,_ my thoughts drawled. _He doesn't care about you either._

 _Shut up,_ I snapped back, getting uneasy.

"Here, let me help you out of there, Hiccup." Dad unlocked his own car door, stepped out, and then walked over to mine in a few simple strides. He opened the door for me, and after taking Toothless and putting him on the ground, he picked me up as if I weighed nothing and started for the house.

My cheeks burned at my helplessness, but I didn't say anything. My leg still throbbed where it was missing, and if I walked on it for more than five to six steps I'd collapse.

As we neared the front door, that same heavy feeling from before came back, clutching me in its grasp. I tried to shrug it off, but it wouldn't budge.

Dad started to open the door with his one free hand, Toothless happily standing beside his feet, and I held my breath. That burdensome feeling wouldn't let me go anymore. I was stuck- caught in its unrelenting grasp. And I feared that if I wasn't released soon, I'd suffocate.

"You look tired, son," Dad acknowledged as he began to push the door open, revealing a crack of the darkness from inside. "Maybe you'll have an early night tonight."

I nodded wordlessly, and allowed Dad to carry me inside with extreme tenderness, and then place me on the couch. My prosthetic leg was propped up with a pillow, and Dad dropped Toothless in my lap. "I'll get some lunch ready," he announced, stalking away into the kitchen behind me. "Anything you want in particular?"

I rested my head back on the couch's hard cushions, closing my eyes. "No, thanks."

"All right, then. I'll just see what we have here."

His words then became muddled in my mind, and I found myself drowsing off. With no more strength to fight back, I allowed myself to slip away into unconsciousness, with one security left: I was home.

But for some reason, now I didn't want to be.

* * *

 **Hmm hmm, just an angsty little filler chapter for now, my lovely little munchkins. But I figured I'd better put something up rather than avoiding you all for another week… or three. :)**

 **Adios! ;)**


	11. Honest

**Shoutouts to** **harrypanther , Warrior-of-httyd, Astrid E Lokison, lindenrosetps, ExodusClaw, animalsarepeopletoo, jessygirl03, PixelLight, Goldeneyeddragon101, goldeneyeddragon (guest), Sydney B (guest), ImpossibleJedi4 (guest), Smoe05,** **Dragon (guest) ,** **Cesin (guest), CartoonPonyDrawing,** **and** **BlueCoffeeandRainbows** **for reviewing the last chapter!**

 ***slaps self* SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING IN AWHILE, Y'ALL. WRITER'S BLOCK CAME ALONG AND HIT ME HARD… YEAH… AND I'M SICK RIGHT NOW SO THIS MAY NOT BE THE LONGEST CHAPTER EVER, BUT IT'S OKAY. (PROBABLY) Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven: Honest**

If I could name one good thing and one bad thing about being stuck in bed all day, it would be these:

1\. I didn't have to do anything.

2\. I didn't have to do anything.

Boredom was my new companion all week. Every morning, Dad carried me down to the couch and turned on the TV, but nothing good was ever on and I always ended up watching Bug Wars for two hours straight. By the time lunch rolled around, I had a new respect for insects.

That Saturday, Dad must've sensed how lonely I was, because half an hour later- much to my surprise- a knock came from the front door. My father opened it, and there stood…

Astrid. And Snotlout. And Fishlegs and Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

I straightened from my position on the couch. "Uh, hi, um… h-hey…"

Dad grinned at me. "Thought you could use some company, Hiccup."

Astrid laughed at my expression. "Surprise?"

I quickly forced a face of whatever relaxation I'd be expected to have, and coughed slightly. "Yeah, um…" Suddenly, Toothless burst out from under my blankets. Eyes wild, he began to yip loudly, and I had to hold him back from jumping off the couch. "So this is Toothless, my new dog," I said at the top of my voice to be heard over his barking. "He gets… excited sometimes."

Astrid nodded. I had told her about him before.

Snotlout, on the other hand, was bent over laughing, while Fishlegs looked uncomfortable and the twins tried to get Toothless to bark louder. Dad quickly made an excuse about needing to take my dog on a walk outside, and soon was out of the room… leaving me alone with the group of people who had tormented me my whole life.

It was awkward for a moment.

"So," Snotlout tried. "How are… things?"

"The… um, usual." I cleared my throat. "Anyways, you know, you guys don't have to stay over here if you don't want to… I don't know why my Dad invited you all here… I'm fine, believe me."

"Nah, of course," Astrid smiled, already walking over to the couch. "We're friends, right?"

 _Yeah. Sure. Friends,_ my thoughts hissed.

To my dismay, I knew my thoughts were right. Why would Astrid Hofferson want to be my friend? The only reason she was even hanging out with me was because of my newfound "popularity" after the crash. Even talking to her over the phone I could tell that.

Fishlegs smiled sheepishly. "Your father called us and said that you might need someone to keep you company. So we came. Hope you don't mind."

"Yeah, of course not." Embarrassed, I waved them over. "Well, sit down, sit down. We can… talk."

And so eventually we were all gathered around the living room; me on the couch, Astrid sitting beside me, Snotlout and Fishlegs in two chairs, and Ruff and Tuff on another couch. I didn't know any conversation starters, alas it remained silent.

"So, what do you have to do over here?" Snotlout finally asked.

I didn't know and told him so.

"Aw, come on, you've got to have something," Astrid encouraged. I shook my head slowly. All I was aware of was how close she was to me.

"Ooh, I know!" Fishlegs said excitedly. "What about truth or dare? After all, we don't really know each other all that well-" mostly because they'd ignored me my whole life- "so maybe we'd get to know each other better after playing."

Astrid nodded in approval. "Sounds good. What do you think, guys?"

No one in the group disagreed. We started

"Okay, I'll go first," Astrid said. She turned to Snotlout. "Truth or dare, Snotlout?"

Snotlout's chest puffed out in pride. "Dare, _of course."_

"Fine. I dare you to slap me."

He paused, chest deflating. "Well, uh… I don't hit women."

"What? You scared?"

"Of course I'm not scared!" Snotlout spluttered. "I just…" His face reddened. "Fine. I'll choose a truth."

"Your loss. Okay, answer me this: what's your biggest fear?"

The atmosphere held its breath, as did Snotlout. He looked ready to punch a wall before he shook his head. "Haha, right," he snorted. "Yeah, I don't _have_ any fears. I'm too manly for that."

"I saw him run away from a spider once," Tuffnut offered.

We quickly moved to another person after that.

"Ruffnut," Fishlegs asked. He bit the inside of his cheek. "Have you… ever k-kissed anyone?"

Ruffnut smiled proudly. "Sure have. Once I kissed this guy, Eret. He's on the football team…" She sighed dreamily. "I didn't know what a man was before I saw Eret Eretson, the man of my dreams!"

I leaned forward. "So, who made the first move?"

Ruffnut didn't supplement an answer.

Next, it was Tuffnut's turn to ask Astrid. "Truth or dare?" he asked her.

"Truth," Astrid said firmly, surprising everyone.

"Ooh, tough case… hmm… okay got it: do you like Hiccup?"

There was the expectant pause. I cleared my throat. "We are asking some _very_ personal questions today, guys," I pointed out. I then turned to Astrid. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I understand."

She smiled weakly back. "No, it's all right. And in answer, yes, I do like you, Hiccup Haddock." When my eyes widened, she laughed. "Don't go thinking too highly of yourself just yet. I like you as a _friend_ , Hiccup."

"Oh! Yeah, uh, of course," I stuttered, looking down at the floor. "Of c-course, yeah…"

 _Idiot._

 _Shut up._

Finally, I was the victim getting asked the question, and I didn't even hesitate before answering with, "Truth." With my leg, it wasn't like I could do a dare. I couldn't do much of anything, really.

As it turned out, Snotlout was the one asking me something. I expected it to be embarrassing or rude or immature, but to my surprise, it was something completely different. "Okay, Hiccup…" He paused. "Do you… do you forgive us for ignoring you… and… well, making fun of you after all these years? Remember, you can't lie."

I didn't know what to say. The rest of the group pretended they were doing something important, like picking at their nails or inspecting the floor. I wasn't sure whether it was in shame, or they just didn't want to be a part of the conversation.

"Well," I began carefully, "I guess I do. The past is in the past, right?" I offered a smile.

Snotlout didn't return it. "Hiccup, I said to tell the truth."

"It's okay, Hiccup," Astrid sighed. "We weren't exactly kind to you. We understand if you still… well…"

"Have a grudge against the people who ignored him for his whole life?" Tuffnut filled in. He raised his brow. " _Yeah_. If I was him, I'd be ready to start a riot. I mean, what kind of people do that kind of thing?"

"Duh, _we_ did," Ruff hissed.

"Oh, yeah, right… wait, was that wrong?"

I knew Tuff had a point. I should be angry with them for all they'd put me through in the past. Snotlout and his gang had roughed me up more times than I'd liked to remember, Astrid hadn't acknowledged I was alive until a few weeks ago, Fishlegs had mostly avoided my path during my unfortunate years of school, and the twins constantly played malicious pranks on me.

But, for some reason, I wasn't angry with any of them. They had just made a few mistakes like everyone did. Plus, as much I hated to admit it, I really _was_ a nobody up until a month ago. It wasn't like I ever tried to be noticed, or get on their good side. Which meant could I really blame them for what I went through?

So I cleared my throat and said, "I don't hold anything against you guys." At their doubtful expressions, I added, "Honest. I don't."

"But… how can you say that?" Fishlegs stammered. "We treated you like you didn't exist…"

"Me and the other guys beat you up, just for being you," Snotlout muttered.

"Can you ever forgive us, Hiccup?" Astrid asked softly.

I smiled over at her, and this time I spoke with no trace of doubt in my tone.

" _Honest_ … I already have."

* * *

"So, how was meeting your friends again?" Dad asked cheerfully from the kitchen as he put dinner on the stove. He was making pancakes. Just like Mom and I used to make on the weekends. It was almost like a family tradition in the Haddock household… not that Dad ever joined us, although- he was too busy working...

 _Your father can't make up for her!_ my thoughts insisted. _He's just a fraud. He wants you to trust him, but he'll never trust you with anything other than broken promises and lies._

I shook my head, returning my attention to the TV. I needed more sleep.

By the time dinner was ready, a family of ants was fighting a scorpion on screen and I wasn't sure if I wanted to see how the battle would end based on the way it was going. But before I had the chance to decide, Dad was turning the TV off and helping me stand up from the couch, so I could limp over to the dinner table.

I was walking better by the day, now, at least, and could get around the house with little trouble. Stairs were my only problem. No matter how hard I tried, I'd always slip up and had to have Dad catch me before I fell face flat on the floor. Based on my little progression, I doubted I'd be able to get up or get down them anytime soon.

"Hungry, son?" my father said.

I wasn't.

"Kind of."

"Good. The pancakes are made especially for you." He winked.

We sat down at the table, where I picked at my food with a fork to make it look like I had eaten something while Dad shoveled in his own bites of the syrupy pancakes.

"So. Gobber's coming over tomorrow," he said in between bites.

That did little to excite me, though Gobber was an old family friend. He always treated me as an adult, and not a kid, for which I was always grateful for. "He is?"

"Yes. He wants to see how you've been lately," Dad explained, before biting his lip. "What with the… uh… crash."

"Oh. Yeah."

There was silence at the table.

Seemed like nothing had changed.

As dinner finally came to an end, I had, at last, managed down a few bites of food when I suddenly realized a change in my father's mood. His upbeat tone had faded long ago, and he refused to meet my gaze. Even he didn't look too hungry anymore. And he was always hungry.

"Dad?" I asked, worried. My fork dropped to my plate. "Is something wrong?"

He placed his hands on the table, cleared his throat, and shifted in his seat for a moment before he looked up. "Hiccup, I need to tell you something. Something… important, son. I thought it would clear up before I had to tell you, but… it didn't. So I hope you'll understand."

Fear clenched at my heart. "Dad…?"

From under the table, Toothless poked at my foot. If dogs could sense bad news coming, I was sure I wouldn't like what my father had to say. Nonetheless, I had to listen. I knew that if I didn't, the curiosity would drive me mad.

Dad crossed his arms. "Well, son…" He hesitated, his brow furrowing. "It's like this…"

* * *

 **HA! But ne'er fear, next update will be quicker, I promise you, my lovelies. I think my writer's block is clearing up.**


	12. For The Best

**Badaboom. I am back in action. *puts on sunglasses***

 **Thank you** **CartoonPonyDrawing, animalsarepeopletoo, Wolf of the Demise, FanWriter02, DragonNite, PixelLight, SweetWritingIsMyLife, Guest, HanikahTheWriter, Astrid E Lokison, guest (2), katurdi, TheBookRider, Goldeneyeddragon101, SailorMew4, XYZ Artemis, Smoe05,** **lightfootk,** **AtlasSky,** **and** **Bahari Muziki** **for reviewing. You all rock!**

 **And if any of you guys could leave a review this chapter, that would be AWESOME. Life's been a little rough lately, and I always love hearing what you all think of the story. :) Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve: For The Best**

"Well, son… It's like this…"

Dad ran a tired hand down his face. He seemed to have aged years in moments, wrinkles creasing his brow like crumpled paper, and all of a sudden, I noticed his gray hairs were much more noticeable than before.

Meanwhile, my heart was pounding like a hammer.

 _It can't be that bad,_ I tried to calm myself. _There's been too many bad things happening lately for there to be anymore._

But the tone of Dad's voice as he spoke next said otherwise.

"As you know, your stay in the hospital was long, productive… and expensive." Dad cleared his throat and raised a hand at my alarmed expression. "I know what you're thinking, Hiccup, and don't worry. We're not in financial trouble. A little low, yes, but nothing serious."

I released a shaky breath. At least I could cross that off the list.

"So… what is it, then?" I asked nervously. Toothless whined from under the table.

Dad intertwined his fingers together, looking me straight in the eye. "As I said before, we're not in serious financial trouble. But it is something to be addressed. So, a week and a half ago, I got a call."

A beat.

I whispered, "From where?"

Dad leaned back in his chair. "I'm the mayor of Berk, here, Hiccup. I hoped to run for another term, but it just isn't paying what I need it to at the moment. The call I got was from Weston, Connecticut. They… they've been looking for a mayor to run their town down there, and since your case was on the news, they heard about me as the mayor of Berk here and called." He looked down at the floor. "I haven't made any certain decisions yet about whether to take the offer or not, son. I wanted to wait and see what you thought."

The news crashed down on me heavily. I had grown up in Berk. I had always gone to school in Berk, had friends (or rather, a few acquaintances) in Berk- everything _in Berk._ Now, we were moving many states away?

Being from a small town in Wisconsin, I had always preferred things small. We had never moved once in our lives. My family was here, my new friends were here. Simple. But this job offer of Dad's-

"Weston is a profitable town, Hiccup," Dad went on as if that would somehow change my mind. "Very rich citizens and housing. I think you'd like it."

I looked up at him with a frown. "So it's already settled, then? We're moving and I don't get a say in it?"

"Of course you do," he said gently. "But, I just think a new start would be what's best for us right now, what with your leg… and your mother gone... Don't you agree?"

I surprised myself with answering, "No."

I didn't want things to change- _again._ I found that I actually didn't want to leave Berk. I had just begun a new start with Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruff, and Tuff; I didn't want to end it. Right after we had forgiven each other for the things we'd done, I would just pack up and leave?

Dad looked as surprised as I did. "Hiccup?"

"No," I repeated, standing up from the table. I didn't even stumble. "I don't want to go."

He sighed. "Sometimes things are for the best, Hiccup."

"Not this." I shook my head. I couldn't believe this was happening. And it hurt to know that just as soon as I started to make friends, to finally get Astrid Hofferson to notice me… I had to give it all up.

"Just wait a minute, Hiccup," Dad ordered, rising from the table as well. "I said I was still thinking it over."

"From what I've heard it's already settled," I muttered and started to limp away from the table, Toothless close as my heel.

"Hiccup-" Dad made a reach for my arm, but I avoided him.

"I just need some time alone!" I pushed my way over to the staircase, my thoughts racing a mile a minute.

And for the first time ever, I made it upstairs and back inside my room that night, all with my prosthetic on.

I didn't feel happy, though. I just felt a whole lot worse.

* * *

Gobber came over the next morning.

I wasn't sure whether he was there to help me out of my moodiness towards Dad, or just the fact that I hadn't seen him for awhile. He'd been out of town looking for job offers, (though Dad had told me he'd also been "sightseeing" around the world) and now he was back.

When I heard Gobber come through the front door, I managed to make my way downstairs without Dad's help. Thankfully, he'd had the sense to leave me alone last night and we hadn't spoken since.

"Hey, 'iccup!" Gobber grinned from ear to ear as he saw me, then happily swaggered over and wrapped me up in a crushing hug.

"Glad to see you too," I rasped out, the air being stolen from my lungs.

Gobber chuckled and released me. I staggered for a moment but quickly regained my balance after he helped steady myself.

"So, 'iccup, how've you been lately? What with the, eh…" He gestured to my missing foot. "That."

I smirked. I knew Gobber was the best person who understood my situation because he was an amputee too. He'd lost an arm and a leg a few years back, though they hadn't been lost as drastically as my left foot had been. Dad had muttered something about a tussle with a bear, but I never pressed the subject.

"It's… getting better, I guess," I said, shifting on my feet. "Still hurts sometimes, but it's manageable."

Gobber nodded in acknowledgment. "Well, yeh just keep on takin' that medicine, yeh hear? Back in my day, when I lost these," he lifted his fake hand and metal foot, "they didn't have much to soothe the pain."

I frowned. "How old are you anyway?"

He winked. "A lot older than yeh'll ever find out, laddie. Now come on, come on." He waved me towards the couch. "Let's sit and talk. Stoick," he turned around, still grinning at my father who stood by the door, "would yeh care to join us?"

Dad paused. He looked my way, but I quickly avoided his gaze.

I heard him sigh. "No thank you, Gobber. I think I'll find myself more useful upstairs."

His footsteps pounded away, getting more quieter as they disappeared up the stairs until they weren't able to be heard at all. Only then did I look up, and slowly edge towards the couch. Gobber was looking at me curiously. "What was that all about, 'iccup?"

There was no use in lying to him. He probably already knew about Dad's "plans."

"It's like he already decided we're moving," I sighed, looking down at my feet where Toothless sat. He flapped his tongue out and wagged his tail furiously. I bit my lip, unable to find amusement in the situation. "And he won't give me a fair say in it."

Gobber's hand rested on my shoulder. "Hiccup, I know it sounds… _hard_ at first, to take up and leave the only place you've ever known…" He chuckled. "But what if there's something more out there that you want? Haven't yeh ever wanted to leave Berk before?"

His words struck home closer than he probably had intended them to. Always, somewhere deep inside of me, I knew that I was never meant to stay in Berk all of my life. I wanted to go off and explore the world. I couldn't do that if I was kept locked away forever.

I guess I always knew I planned to leave here someday. Whether it was going to be in twenty years or two months… I just had to go. I just didn't expect it to be so soon.

Gobber smiled. "I left home too, you know. Never looked back."

"Did you…" I hesitated. "Did you ever regret it?"

He slowly shook his head. "No. I found Berk, and I met yehr mother and father, some of my greatest friends in my life. I had plenty o' good times at home, sure, but there's a whole world out there, Hiccup. And it's just waiting to be discovered."

"I don't know," I managed out. I slid down on the couch. "I mean, he at least could've…" My breath caught in my throat. "He at least could've…"

"Could o' what?"

Gobber invited himself to sit beside me and watched as I shook my head.

"Never mind."

"Oh, come on." Gobber poked me in the shoulder. "Yeh can tell me anything. Yeh know that."

I looked away, asking myself the same question again. What was bothering me so much about leaving? One month ago, I might've been ecstatic at going away. I'd get to live in a new place with a new start, meet new people, go to a new school, maybe even get new friends.

But Berk was, well… Berk. It was home. We had our charming view of the sunsets, our homely settings, and several great fishing spots. My school was only a few minutes away. Our population was less than two hundred. The weather was never exactly nice, but it was never too horrible either. It was Berk.

How could I just… leave it?

"Hiccup?" Gobber asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. "What're yeh thinking about?"

"I don't want to go," I whispered. I felt childish for the sense of security I now had in Berk, but I couldn't push it away, either. "Dad's already made the decision. We're moving far, far, away, and as always, I don't have a say in it."

"Is that what's bothering yeh, Hiccup? Not having a say in it?"

I sunk more down into the couch's cushions. "I… don't know."

"Then what is it?"

"I told you, I don't know."

He chuckled. "Hiccup, if yeh don't know what yeh want in life, how do yeh know what yeh don't want either?"

He had a point. "I guess."

"Yeh guessed right." He let out a long sigh, leaning back beside me. "So, what do yeh think yeh're going to choose? To stay or teh go? It's a mighty important decision, but I know that somewhere deep inside of yeh, yeh know what's the right thing to choose."

 _Leave,_ my thoughts snapped. _No one wants you here. You can have a new start where your father's working as mayor. You'll get new friends, new experiences, a new life. Doesn't that sound good?_

It did.

"But…" I swallowed. "What about the others? What about my cousin, aunt, and uncle? My school, my friends, my whole life?"

Gobber looked me straight in the eye. "Hiccup, there comes a time in a man's life when yeh got to just let everything go and choose a new start. And even if yeh choose the wrong answer, you've got to stick to it. You'll make it right in the end. I know yeh, lad."

I had the horrible feeling that I was doing something wrong, but I still went on and said, "If it'll… make things easier… make Dad happy… then, yeah. I guess he deserves to move if he wants to."

Gobber reached over and ruffled my hair. "Yeh're learning, laddie. Yeh're learning."

"So, it's settled? I'm moving to Connecticut?" It didn't feel like any of this was real.

"Yeh are."

"And you're sure I'm making the right choice, Gobber?" I asked, turning to him with a newfound urgency. When he didn't answer, my concern doubled. "Gobber. Are you sure?"

"As I told yeh before, it's for the best," he said after a beat. "Don't worry, laddie. It is."

But deep down in my heart, I still didn't believe him. I couldn't even force myself to. The nagging feeling in my head kept asking the same question over and over again, and as much as I wanted to ignore it, I couldn't.

Because… what if it wasn't 'for the best'?

 _Well,_ my thoughts drawled. _T_ _hen you just made the biggest mistake of your entire life._


	13. Even The Losers

**Special thanks to reviewers:** **harrypanther, DragonNite, katurdi, CartoonPonyDrawing, Astrid E Lokison, Hanikah the Writer, TheBookRider, animalsarepeopletoo, Lynkia, Hiccstridlover13, Goldeneyeddragon101, aaquater, jessygirl03, Guest, Warrior-of-httyd, ImpossibleJedi4, Smoe05,** **Midwest Mexican,** **and** **Guest.**

 **Hey, so, many apologies for the delay in updating. I was going through some stuff over Christmas break, but it's getting better now so no worries. :) Updates will be quicker than before (because I pre-wrote some of this during break), but I can't promise weekly updates, either. Sorry! Just gettin' too old for this... *hobbles over on cane* But I did write this extra-long chapter in apologies!  
**

 **Hope you like it, and drop a review on your way out!**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen: Even The Losers**

As it turned out, we wouldn't have to leave for Connecticut - if we did decide to go at all - for a few more months.

Which meant, unfortunately for me, I'd have to go back to school, at least until the end of the semester. Something I wasn't looking forward to. It took a week of preparing and getting used to my prosthetic, but once I was steadier on my feet and had another look from the doctor, I was announced good to go and was sent on my way.

It was awkward, to say the least, as Dad dropped me off. He never had before. Mom always did. Of course, neither of us mentioned this. Speaking of Mom had become a forbidden topic lately.

"If you need anything, make sure to call me," Dad pressed, leaning from the car window so that his head stuck out. "The office will understand. All right? It's fine if you need to come home."

"Yeah, Dad, I know." I pulled out a smile from somewhere, still finding his over-protectiveness a little weird. "Thanks. I'll see you later, then." I paused. "Oh, and don't worry about picking me up today. I'll walk home."

"Walk?" Dad repeated, eyebrows lifting. "Son, that's a little too far for my comfort."

"I just think I need the exercise," I explained. "And to clear my head."

After a few moments, Dad nodded slightly. "All right. If that's what you want. But just this once, understand?"

"Yeah. Of course. Um, well, thanks again." Not sure what else to say, I waved and walked away.

And then I went inside the place that was like a living hell itself, full of the worst kind of devils, demons, and misfortune… middle school.

* * *

Everyone seemed to be staring as I walked to my classes. I could hear the whispers behind my back, fingers pointed when people thought I wasn't looking, side glances as I passed by. From what Astrid had told me, everyone knew about what had happened. About the car crash, my leg, my mother… even Toothless.

So that meant one thing: I was either famous at Berk Middle School, or the next freak show.

My prosthetic didn't help with things, either. Cold metal on hard floor turned out to be a very bad idea. Every step I took echoed through the halls and those who hadn't been looking at me before then were.

Even my classes weren't the same. Mr. Ryker kept a close eye on me at all times - as did the rest of the class-, like I'd somehow disappear in the middle of his lesson. It was the same with my other lessons.

At last, lunchtime came, and as I bought my cafeteria lunch from the stand I suddenly realized I had nowhere to sit. Normally, I'd squeeze in at one of the less popular tables, such as the band geeks. But my regular spot had been filled and every time I looked at others in hope of taking a seat there, the students quickly looked away.

It was the moment every middle schooler dreaded: when they had nowhere to sit at lunch, I felt lost, alone, and like a loser. More people were staring now, and I knew if I didn't decide soon then I'd be far worse than I already was.

So that was it, then. I was a motherless, one-legged, full-blown loser who had no place to sit at lunch. No one cared, and they never would.

But then, suddenly fate changed.

"Hey, Hiccup." Someone tapped on my shoulder. "What're you doing? We saved you a seat over here, dummy."

I turned around.

It was Astrid.

"W-wait… what?" I stammered. I hadn't expected her to talk to me in public - and especially not here. "No, I shouldn't. I'm just Hiccup. Just Hiccup. I don't-"

"Hey, that's what friends are for, remember?" she said, looking amused.

"I-I…" I swallowed, finding nothing else to say. "Yeah."

"Then let's go."

We arrived at the table where Snotlout, the twins, Fishlegs, and a few other more popular students were sitting, and Astrid sat down near the end of the table. When I didn't follow, she rolled her eyes. "Well?"

Blushing, I felt like an idiot. "Oh-oh yeah." I took my place beside her.

"Glad to finally see you well enough to come back to school, Hiccup," Snotlout said, looking actually sincere. "I was starting to think your dad was going to homeschool you."

I laughed loudly - too loudly. People around me began to stare. Clearing my throat, I said, "No, my dad's too busy to homeschool me."

True.

"Plus, I wanted to come back, anyway."

Not true.

Snotlout shrugged. "Cool." He went back to cramming his sandwich inside his mouth.

Astrid wrinkled her nose. "Snotlout, do you have to do that _here?_ It's disgusting."

Through a mouthful of bread and turkey, Snotlout grinned toothily. "You know you love it, babe."

Astrid gagged.

"So, Hiccup," Fishlegs interrupted, laughing nervously. I could tell he wanted to change the subject. "How have you been lately? Been able to catch up with school?"

I shrugged. But really, I was still finding everything too easy. Even after two months of missing school, I barely needed to study for the finals coming up.

"I know I'm not," Snotlout said, gulping down the rest of his sandwich. "It's all still gibberish to me."

"I could help," I offered, before I could stop myself. Quickly, I looked away, correcting myself. "That is… uh... if you'd want me too. I mean, I'd be happy to share my notes for our exams if you need some extra help. I'm pretty good with that."

Snotlout blinked slowly, and for a few moments, I wasn't sure what he was thinking. But then he grinned. "Hey, not a bad idea, Hiccup! My old man was gonna pound me for sure if I got another D."

"Really? Well... great."

"Maybe you could help me out a little too," Astrid suggested. "Between volleyball and softball practices, I don't have much time to study."

"Us too!" Tuffnut yelled, and Ruff nodded. "We also want to be smart people!"

"God help us all," Fishlegs moaned, slumping down in his chair.

This was all going better than expected. I nodded. "Sure. Hey, maybe you guys could come over after school? Finals are next month, and we might want to get a head start…"

"Can't do it today," Astrid sighed, enthusiasm gone. "Volleyball practice."

"Football for me," Snotlout added.

I shrugged. "That's all right. We can all do it another time. Maybe later this week."

"How about we start now?" Astrid asked. "We have another half hour of lunch."

I nodded. "Okay, I'll just get my notes from today." I leaned over the lunch table to pick my bag up, but only then did I realize that I hadn't brought it to the cafeteria. I smiled apologetically and stood up. "I'll be right back. Must have left it in my locker."

"We'll wait here," Astrid promised.

"Alright, I'll be back soon."

Making my way out of the cafeteria, I found myself in a daze over what just happened. I had actual, real live friends. Not just people who were only concerned over the car crash, but friends who wanted to study and talk to me. It almost seemed too good to be true. I had lost a lot of things in the car crash, but maybe… maybe not everything was lost, yet.

So lost in my reverie, it was only when I was halfway down the hall did I hear the footsteps behind me. I hadn't been listening before, but now that I was it was clear that someone was following me - or at least taking the same path. At the same time.

A chill ran up my spine, but I didn't dare look back. Were they really following me, or was it just my overactive imagination? To play it safe, instead of going further down the hall to my locker, I turned to the right; a path that would circle me back to the cafeteria.

Unfortunately, no sooner had the thought crossed my mind the person behind me also went around the corner.

So I was being followed.

Not good.

But now, I heard more than one pair of footsteps behind me. I heard two.

A faint snicker echoed through the halls, and it took every ounce of my willpower not to bolt.

"Shh," someone whispered from only a few yards behind me. "He'll hear us."

That was the last straw. Unable to help myself, I glanced over my shoulder and my heart dropped. Because I saw the two people I dreaded most ar Berk Middle… Alvin and Savage; the biggest, nastiest bully duo who had been repeat students longer than I had been in middle school.

They were both quietly laughing to themselves but stopped when they saw me looking at them.

In return, I did the only thing a brave, confident middle schooler would do.

I ran.

...and I fell.

This hadn't occurred to me before, but it was going to be hard running with a prosthetic on. Not only was I still getting used to it, but the tile was slippery, and just as soon as I made a break for it I tumbled to the ground, landing flat on my stomach.

A chorus of laughter followed my grand display. "Look, Useless can't even run away right!" Alvin chortled.

"I know, what a loser," Savage agreed.

It took a few seconds to regain my breath, but once I did, I scrambled to my feet. There was little time, though, before I was captured and slammed against a nearby locker.

Alvin smiled, his breath was hot on my face as he spoke. "What'cha doing, Useless? Being even more of a letdown than usual?"

Ordinarily, I would've been terrified of this situation. But somehow, staring straight into the face of the bully that had terrified me my whole life, I found myself eerily calm. I wasn't going to be afraid anymore.

"What's wrong, Useless? Cat got your tongue?"

No, I was a dog person, thank you very much.

"What are you, scared?"

Do I _look_ scared to you, Alvin?

"Hey, Useless. Don't stare at me like that."

Like what? I could stare whatever way I pleased. This was a free country.

"Hey. Hey, answer me, Useless! When somebody asks you a question, you're supposed to answer it."

Well, if he asked politely, I'd consider it.

Alvin slammed me against the locker again, this time much harder. "Answer me, Useless!"

"My name is _Hiccup,"_ I spat.

He raised his brow. "Well, well, well. The mute speaks. It must be a miracle... or not."

Savage grinned crookedly from beside him. "Hit him, Alvin - hit him!"

"Don't worry, I will. This little creep needs to learn a lesson in manners."

"You're one to talk," I snapped, surprising even myself. "You're supposed to say 'please' when you want something, and 'thank you' when you get it. Remember? Or is that not in your vocabulary?"

A shadow crossed Alvin's face. "Don't talk to me like that, Useless. That'll get you into more trouble than you're already in."

"My friends know where I am."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. They'll come for me."

"Wait? You have friends?" Savage looked a little worried. "Al, I thought you said-"

"Shut up! I know what I said. But don't worry about it; his friends are probably just little creeps like he is. Who else would want to hang out with him?"

A smile spread across my face. "Actually, a lot of people. Astrid's one of them - you know, Astrid Hofferson, the most popular girl in the school -, and Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Snotlout…"

"Wait. Snotlout? Don't make me laugh." Alvin shook his head, smiling. "Why'd he ever hang out with a loser like you?"

I pretended to look hurt. "Hey. At least I'm a _nice_ loser."

Any trace of amusement vanished and was replaced with anger. "I told you not to talk to me like that, Useless. Are you deaf? Or are you just messed up from that car crash?"

That finally struck a chord inside me. "Don't talk about that."

"Why not? Who knows, maybe that wasn't even an accident. I bet you messed up the car in the first place."

"Shut up!"

Alvin laughed. "Hey, Savage… how much do you wanna bet Useless here killed his mother on purpose?"

At the mention of Mom, I sucked in a breath. "Don't talk like that," I warned, and was dismayed to find a tremble in my voice. "I loved my mother."

"Sure you did," Alvin said. "You loved her so much you just had to kill her."

"Stop it!" I yelled and tried to push away from his grasp. I managed to slip away a little, but that only made him angrier. He pushed me against the locker again.

"Big mistake. Now you're really in for it." He drew back his fist.

Cringing, I closed my eyes, surrendering myself to the inevitable pain that was ahead.

But instead of pain, I was rewarded with something else.

As my eyes were closed, I suddenly heard Savage yelp, and then there was a thud from the floor. Alvin's hands were pulled away and I heard something slam against metal.

Shocked, I opened my eyes.

There stood Snotlout and Astrid, both dusting their hands off as Alvin and Savage backed up against the wall. Alvin had a bleeding nose and was cupping his hand over it. "You're going to pay for this, Snot!" he yelled. "I thought you were one of us!"

"Oh, yeah?" Snotlout challenged, bringing out his fist. "Think again, Al. Think. Again."

"And if you ever, _ever_ touch Hiccup again, I will hunt you down until you wish you were never born," Astrid growled. By the menacing tone of her voice, I had no doubt that she would carry out that threat.

"W-we understand," Savage stuttered, picking himself up from the ground and backing away. "We won't mess with him again! We promise!"

"Be quiet!" Alvin said. He turned to me. "This is all your fault, Useless! You just keep messing things up, don't you? Well... what else would I expect from a _runt?_ A runt who only has one leg!"

Snotlout threw his arm out again. "Hey! Shut up and move out already!"

Very reluctantly, Alvin backed down and nodded to the exit. "C'mon, Savage," he muttered. "Let's get away from these losers. Wouldn't want to be caught dead around them."

Savage scurried after Alvin, and Snotlout and Astrid never took away their gaze until they were out of sight. Once they were, they turned around.

Astrid met my gaze, and I saw her eyes were burning with anger. " _Crap._ I'm going to kill those guys for what they just did. I will… kill them." She marched over to me, but softened when she saw my expression. "Hey, are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"I'm okay," I assured her, but I could still see her concern.

Snotlout's fists clenched, his voice dropping as he spoke. "I can't believe I used to hang out with those guys. They're all just some big... _losers_ who take out their anger on smaller kids. They better not come back anytime soon."

"I don't think they will," Astrid agreed. "Especially the way you punched Alvin. Nice."

I blinked, shaking my head. "Wait a second… how did you guys find me?"

Snotlout darkened noticeably, but Astrid merely sighed. "After you left the lunchroom, Alvin and Savage got up from their seats and followed you out. I knew they were up to something. So, Snotlout and I went after you. The others are back in the cafeteria, just in case you had made it back on your own."

I was stunned. They had actually gone after Savage and Alvin to help... me. _Me._ The kid who they had ignored their entire life. Who didn't deserve any of this. Any of them.

Astrid softened when I didn't respond. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Y...yeah. I will be," I whispered, looking back up at her and managing a smile. "But… thanks so much, guys. I just… you know… it-"

"It's fine," Astrid laughed, and punched me in the shoulder.

I jolted, rubbing my arm protectively. "Ow! What was that for?"

"That," she said, "was for getting into all this trouble in the first place."

"W-What?" I protested, letting my arm drop to my side. "Is it- is it always going to be this way? This..."

But then she suddenly leaned in and hugged me.

"And that's for everything else."

From behind her, Snotlout's eyes bulged. "Dude," he whispered. "She, like, never has hugged another person in her life. Ever." There was a mixture of shock and envy on his face, and it didn't make me feel like such a loser anymore.

Astrid pulled away, her gaze piercing mine. "Tell anyone about this and you're dead, Haddock. Understand?"

"Understood," I agreed faintly.

She smirked. "Okay, enough with this. Let's get back to our table before the teachers notice we're gone. Besides, the others will be wondering where we are."

And so we set off through the halls together, walking side by side. Somewhere along the way, Astrid reached out and grabbed my hand.

And we stayed like that, the whole way back.

* * *

"Hey, Dad? I'm home!"

I swung open our front door, breathless from the walk from the school. I was surprised when he didn't greet me.

"Hey, Dad? Where are you?"

I closed the door as I came in, looking around. There was no sign of him, or Toothless for that matter.

 _Maybe he's in his office,_ I reasoned, and dropped my backpack off by the door. I walked past the kitchen, glancing around as I did, but I still didn't see him. When I got to his office, I cautiously peeked in. "Hey, Dad, are you in here? Dad?"

I was about to pull away when something caught my eye. A note on the door. Curious, I plucked it off, unfolded it, and started to read.

 _Hiccup,_

 _Out getting groceries. Left Toothless behind in the garage. Hope school was good, tell me about it when I get home. Will be back soon. Try starting on homework if you can._

 _Love,_

 _Dad._

I sighed. So much for the family discussion about moving to Conneticut I was hoping for.

I looked around for somewhere to throw the note away and spotted the trash can in Dad's office. Squeezing through the doors, I made my way over and dropped the paper inside it. As I was walking out, I looked up. Right at the computer.

Sprawled across the front page, it read _**CONNECTICUT HOUSES FOR SALE.**_

One house was already clicked on.

One house was almost ready to purchase.

And there was only one person in this house who could do that.

But how… how could he go behind my back and do this without asking first? I was part of this family too. I deserved a chance to offer my opinion. Besides, we hadn't even discussed whether we were even moving or not yet.

I felt betrayed.

"Dad…" I whispered, eyes lingering on what looked to be our new home. "What did you do...?"


	14. Where The Heart Is

****Many thanks to Smoe05, animalsarepeopletoo, harrypanther, aaquater, Guest, PixelLight, Astrid Lokison (Guest), master-of-httyd-fics-542, katurdi, spike-and-spencer, musciallymusical, andyetitmoves, Guest, and lightfootk for reviewing. You all are the reason I'm still writing. :) ****

****Hopefully, this isn't too terribly edited, haha. I checked all the signs and it seems - big surprise - that I'm sleep deprived! I mean, who saw that coming?****

* * *

 ** **Chapter Fourteen: Where The Heart Is****

I was in shock.

Not only had Dad betrayed me with going ahead with the decision that we were going to move, but he even had picked out a house we were going to live in.

That was what bothered me the most: not being asked. As if I didn't have a say about anything that happened in my life. It seemed that after the car crash which crippled me and took away Mom, Dad didn't even bother to check with me about anything serious anymore.

I closed my eyes; the thought reminded me of something. Something that had happened years ago.

A memory resurfaced.

" _Mom?" I asked, tugging the arm of the tall woman in front of me. I was eight, and we were at the airport, ready to board our plane. "Why do we have to go? Daddy never asked if we wanted to. Why didn't he even…?"_

 _Mom kneeled over, looking at me. "Hiccup, this is a very important meeting for your father. It could be a good thing for us. And we have to go or else Daddy won't have a good chance of getting the job."_

" _Did he ask you?"_

 _She hesitated. "No."_

" _Then why do we have to go all the way there? I don't want to… I'm scared, Mommy."_

" _Hiccup, sometimes we just have to trust the ones we love because we know that they're doing what's best for us. This is important to Daddy, so it's important to me." She cupped my chin. "And I hope one day it'll become important to you, too."_

" _But what if it's not? What if it's wrong? What if something else Daddy does is wrong and I can't tell?"_

 _She smiled faintly. "Trust me, Hiccup, you'll know. Right down in your heart, you'll know. And if not, come to me first." She laughed, ruffling my hair. "But don't worry about that today. This'll be fun, going on your first plane trip. It's a blessing in disguise."_

 _I smiled back, feeling more confident than before. "Alright, Mommy."_

 _I took her hand, and we boarded the plane._

Wait. That was it.

I needed something - no, some _one_ \- to give me the advice I needed. To offer the comfort I wanted. To be the guardian that Dad just couldn't be.

I needed to see Mom.

* * *

Berk wasn't a big town. I'd said it before, and it still remained true.

I could get anywhere within a few hours of walking, which meant that getting to the graveyard wasn't far at all - just fifteen minutes. Dad was gone, so that left me some time for a quick visit. I promptly put Toothless on his leash and headed out the door.

Every step I took was another climb to hope. Mom once told me that even if your loved ones were dead, they were never really gone. So maybe she was out there right now, looking over me and waiting to give me the advice I needed about Dad.

I was so lost in my thoughts about Mom, it was only when I stopped walking that I noticed I'd arrived at where she actually was.

Stopping in my tracks, my breath hitched, and for a moment my legs wouldn't work. Somewhere within all these graves was my mother. Cold. Buried. _Dead._

Toothless nudged my leg impatiently, and somewhere inside of me, I found the courage to go on. "Alright, c'mon, boy. Let's go see Mom."

Whether Toothless understood me or not, I didn't know. But what I did know was that I was finally ready to see her.

Almost robotically, I forced myself to take one step in front of another. Just to keep moving. I knew exactly where her grave was- how could I forget? It had only been a month ago when she had been buried.

That seemed so odd to say. Was it really only a month?

I pushed my wandering thoughts away. It didn't matter. I just knew I had to see her again. To see what she had to offer.

I closed my eyes.

" _Mommy? What happens when you're… you're gone?"_

 _The gentle woman reached out and cupped my chin, a smile spreading slowly across her features. "What do you mean?"_

" _Someday you'll be gone, won't you? I know you will. I've heard about it, Mommy." My eyes shone with fear. "Why do you have to leave me? Why can't you stay?"_

" _Oh, Hiccup." She shook her head. "We all have our time, baby. But my time won't be for a long, long time. Don't think about it right now. You're much too young to be worrying about things like that."_

" _But I_ can't _stop thinking about it, Mommy," I insisted. "Astrid looked so sad at her uncle's funeral today. What if that happens to me? What if you go and leave me alone with Daddy?"_

" _Hush, now, Hiccup. I'll tell you what- I'm going to tell you a secret."_

" _A… a secret?"_

" _Yes. A secret treasure. It's called 'love,' baby. Something so strong that not even death can part it." She squeezed my arm tightly. "I'll always be with you, Hiccup. Whether it's in this world…" Her hand stretched out and touched my chest. "Or right in here."_

" _My… my heart?"_

" _Yes, baby. I'll_ always _be with you, in your heart, wherever you go. Always."_

 _I giggled. "Promise?"_

 _Her pinky locked with mine. "Promise."_

My eyes opened.

I realized I was in front of her grave.

"Mom."

My knees trembled, and I clutched the stone for support. _What could I say?_

I started speaking, barely even registering the words leaving my mouth.

"Why… why-why did you have to leave me? Why couldn't you stay? You said your time to go wasn't anytime soon, but… you lied. You did leave."

The carved words on her grave floated tauntingly before my eyes.

 _~~ VALKA HADDOCK ~~_

 _BELOVED MOTHER, TREASURED WIFE_

 _AND A BEAUTIFUL PART OF OUR SOCIETY_

 _YOU WILL REMAIN FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS_

 _R.I.P._

And that was it. No voice from heaven, no lightning strike. No booming voice from God or spirit coming from the dead. Just the proof that I needed to know that my mother's life was complete, with no further entries.

I sucked in a breath; it was time to talk.

"I need your help, Mom. You'd know what to do- I know you would. You always did, and you told me to come to you if I needed your advice. But now… I... I-I'm stuck. I don't know what's right anymore. I… I don't know if _Dad_ knows what's right anymore. He wants to move, Mom. All the way to Connecticut. But how… how can we just pack up and move away from all we've ever known? This is the only place I've lived. The only place I know I want to be. But… so many bad things have happened here. So, _so_ many. And more things, I know, are going to happen if we stay. But would it be worth it to escape it all? To leave everything behind?"

The sound of my heavy breathing filled the graveyard.

"What should I _do,_ Mom? I know Dad's trying to make everything work out but… is it really the right decision? I don't even know if I want to stay here, but... I don't know if I want to go, either. Like I said before, you'd know what to do. You always had the magic words to say to Dad, and could always take control on what to do. And it'd work out because you took our best interests to heart. I could always count on you because of that."

I paused, waiting for some sort of answer. A sign, maybe. Something to give me a least a piece of hope.

"Mom?"

Silence. Just a wide, ugly space of silence, almost laughing at me for my foolishness of talking to the dead.

"Mom, _please."_

Again, nothing. No answer or sign from heaven. She… she wasn't here, and even if she was, she wasn't responding.

"Mom!"

My knees hit the ground, and a tear slipped down my cheek.

"Please, just… give me a sign! I _need_ a sign, Mom! _Please!_ I… I need… I-I need..."

I hiccuped loudly, inwardly cursing myself for hoping too much.

What was the use? Mom was gone. She wasn't coming back, and she wasn't going to give me a sign. I had to figure this out on my own like I always did. And what was so wrong with that? I had always managed to handle my own problems. I fought my battles by myself, dealt with bullies on my own. But when the fight was over… Mom was always there to pick me up. Now that she was gone, I could no longer stand on my own.

"Mom, please," I whispered. "I need you."

I waited. After a minute of silence, I was about to give up when something happened.

"Kid?" a voice said.

I jolted. Mom?

I eagerly got to my feet and turned around. But it wasn't my mother. It was only a middle-aged woman with long brown hair in a ponytail standing there. She looked concerned. "You alright, kid? Looked kind of upset, there."

So it wasn't Mom. And now I looked like a complete idiot in front of a stranger. I coughed. "Yeah, I just…" My hand wiped my eyes, erasing any sign of tears away. "I-I'm alright."

She smiled sadly. "But you're not. I can see it in your eyes." She let a moment pass. "You lost someone too, huh?"

I nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry. It's hard, I know. I just lost my father, too. He was a marine. Brave man, never stopped fighting until the end. Unfortunately, cancer was stronger."

"Oh." I looked down at my feet. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. He wouldn't want another person grieving over him, now would he?" To my surprise, she laughed. She actually laughed. But when I didn't join in, she stopped.

I looked back up at her. Hot blood coursed through my veins, and I scowled. How could she be so happy over someone's death? Her own father, nonetheless? I didn't feel that way about my mother. In fact, I felt the exact opposite.

"Hey, I didn't mean to upset you," she apologized.

I turned stiff. "No, I... it's…" I let out a sharp breath. "It's hard. I was just… surprised that you're not more upset about your father."

"Oh, no. I am," she said, and her words were so solemn that I believed her. "But I'm not going to cry over it forever. He's gone, and I know he wouldn't want me to grieve for him and just stop living altogether. He had a good life. A happy one. That's what really matters."

Confused, I pinched my brow. "But, how do you… you…" I struggled for the right word. " _Cope?_ Without him, I mean? Does it get any better?"

She smiled again. "Well, it isn't easy, at least at first. Took me a lot of tears and heartache to find out." She sighed. "Well, first, you gotta let them go. They're gone, and although there's this… _ache_ in your heart for them to come back, they're not going to. But, they're in heaven now- a wonderful place. It doesn't get any better than that, does it? And once you know that... it gets a little easier. Believe me - it's worked."

Still, there was a persistent nagging in my head. "But what if you can't do that?" I blurted out. "What if you think you have to go away and leave to escape from all those memories?"

She frowned. "That's not a good idea at all. One of the worst things to do, actually. Running away never solves anything. Even if it seems like it's the only option left, the best thing to do is stick around. You can't accept someone's death if you never face it, right?"

That made sense. And maybe that was the reason I felt so tied here to stay: because my mom was still here. If I left Berk, what reason would I have to really remember her? I _wanted_ to remember her. I wanted to stay with her, even though she was gone. Just to have that reminder that she was always going to be with me.

And I knew, deep, deep down, that I still hadn't accepted her death as a part of my life yet. And I also knew Dad hadn't accepted it as a part of his, either.

"T-thanks," I said slowly, reining in Toothless's leash and backing away. "You've been really helpful. More than you'd know. But I… I have to go. Not because of you or anything, but… but I have to go and stop something before it's too late. I, um… thanks."

Confusion filled her eyes, but she nodded. "Good luck, kid. I hope you have better luck than you've had so far."

"Yeah, you too!" I paused, something suddenly occurring to me. "Oh, wait, I don't think I caught your name?"

"Really? Huh, that was rude of me. Oh, well, it's Valka." She laughed. "Odd, I know, but who gets to pick their name?"

I froze. Blood rushed in my ears and I vaguely felt myself stumble back.

 _Valka. Mom._

 _ **Valka.**_

The names. Why were they the same?

"Woah. You alright, kid?" she asked, looking like she was about to rush over and grab me in case I passed out. "You went as pale as a sheet, there."

"I... I…" I shook my head, breathing out heavily.

 _Focus, Hiccup. It's just a coincidence. The name Valka isn't_ that _rare. It's no big deal. Now, don't act like a dummy and just stare at her. Answer already, or she'll think you're weirder than you already are._

I swallowed. "Uh, nevermind. Sorry, uh, I...I have to go."

"Right." She winked. "Go get 'em, kid."

And so I ran. Out of the graveyard, onto the road, and back the way home.

The sign. The _sign._ I had asked Mom for help, and she gave it to me. Maybe her intention wasn't clear at first. Maybe she was even trying to tell me something else. And maybe… maybe I was just plain crazy for thinking all this. But Mom's sign meant something. Two Valkas in one small town didn't mean nothing. I had to listen to her.

And now I knew what she wanted me to do.

I closed my eyes.

" _I'll always be with you, Hiccup. Whether it's in this world…" She touched the place where my heart was. "Or right in here."_

" _My… my heart?"_

" _Yes, baby. I'll_ always _be with you... in your heart… "_

 _Her pinky locked with mine._

" _Wherever you go. Always."_


	15. Home Sweet Home

**NO, I'm not dead. NO, I didn't abandon the fic. YES, I'm back at writing it. :) But… at my own pace. I've really lost my inspiration for the HTTYD fandom lately and after I finish this and a few select other fics, I might stop writing in the fandom altogether. I don't really know yet. So, just bear with me for a little while longer, 'kay? I'm sorry to say but, it could be another YEAR before I finish this (can't believe I've been writing it for more than a year already, wow). BUT I WILL FINISH IT!!!!!**

 **Special shoutouts to reviewers: animalsarepeopletoo, katurdi, aaquater, Smoe05, TheBookRider, PixelLight, Guest, eddie (Guest), master-of-httyd-fics-542, Guest #2, princelotorseyeliner, Guest #3, artist8702, Bahari Muziki, Comet the Nightfury, Just a fan (Guest), Luna Nightrider, Ysabelle Anne R. Inoncillo, and Pokey314! I would not be updating if it wasn't for y'all. 333**

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen: Home Sweet Home**

My hopes of slipping past Dad unnoticed were quickly gone to waste as I saw him sitting at the kitchen counter, sipping a mug of coffee as his expression showed a mixture of anger and worry.

Too frightened to go through the front door and face him, I took the path down to the porch door instead and dug out my key before letting Toothless and myself in. I'd expected it all to go quietly - escape up the stairs with Toothless before Dad knew we'd gotten home, and no one would be the wiser.

But life seemed to take pleasure in making my life as miserable as possible, and the the porch door creaked loudly as I opened it. Dad's head snapped in my direction almost instantly. In moments, his concern turned purely to anger as he looked me over, standing up from his seat from the counter.

"And just where have you been?"

It was so quiet for a minute you could almost hear a pin drop. I rubbed an invisible spot on the floor with my shoe. "Y'know. Out."

Dad's cold expression didn't change as he walked over to me, and for a brief moment in time I feared for my very life. He stopped a few feet away from me. "Toothless is with you, so you obviously came back home after school. And then you left. Again. Without telling me."

"Yeah," I said meekly.

He stared at me for a long minute. "What did I tell you, Hiccup? You can't just-" He threw up his hands in exasperation. "-run off like that!"

"I didn't run off!" I protested. "I was taking a walk."

 _Liar,_ the voice inside my head told me.

 _Half-lie,_ I thought back.

"Whatever it was, you didn't have my permission to do it!"

I raised my brow. "Oh. So now, I need your permission to do everything? I can't even… go on a walk without calling you first and telling you exactly where I'm going and when I'm going to do it."

Dad ran a hand down his face, shaking his head. "I never asked you to do that. You're old enough - I trust you. But all I would've needed was a note. Instead, I come home, far past when you should've been back here, to find you gone! I checked by the school and they said you'd left, but no one knew where you were. I thought you were kidnapped, Hiccup, or worse - dead!"

I stared back at him silently. So much for having a calm conversation over me not wanting to move anymore.

"Dad, I have to talk to you," I whispered, staring down at my twitching hands. From above me, I heard Dad shuffle on his feet.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I-"

"As a matter of fact, I need to speak with you too, son."

I looked up at him, cocking my head. "What?" I didn't think he'd actually want to hear my opinion in _anything_ nowadays. It wasn't like he'd checked with me over buying the house, or even asked me about moving away in the first place.

I sucked in a breath. _No, I need to tell him._ I opened my mouth to speak. "I decided I don't-"

"I think it's best we-"

"-really want to-"

"-try to move on and-"

"-move away from Berk."

"-move away from Berk."

We both looked up at each other in surprise. "You go first," Dad said.

"No, no, _you_ go first."

Dad nodded. "Alright. I did it." He paused before smiling. "I'm getting the house in Connecticut!"

I could feel the blood draining from my face as I backed up. "Oh, no, I really should've gone first. 'Cause I was thinking, do we really need to move away from Berk in the first place? You've been mayor long enough and all my friends are going to high school here…" I bit my lip. "And Mom's here-"

"We'll leave once you're done with your school year," Dad continued, seemingly not hearing me as he started to walk back into the kitchen and leaving me behind. "I'll set everything up so all we have to do is bring our luggage after your graduation."

"But I don't want to move, Dad," I said stubbornly.

Dad looked back over his shoulder at me, chuckling. "Of course you do. You said so yourself after Gobber came over."

"Dad, I realized something today and-" I tried to follow him as he turned away again, starting to pull out old boxes of noodles from the pantry in preparation for dinner. "-and if we move, we'll never face what happened. About Mom and what she-"

"It's time, Hiccup," Dad interrupted, not blinking as he started to take out a few sauces from the shelves.

"Can you not hear me? _I don't want to move_." Every word was drawn out and emphasized upon, but it was like my dad still couldn't understand what I was talking about. I sighed in exasperation. "Dad. Can you just please listen to me for one minute? I…"

He turned to me suddenly, grabbing me by my shoulders and forcing me to look at him directly in the eyes. "I'm your father, Hiccup. I know best. Your mother is- _was_ a… a very special person, and she always wanted the best for you. This way, I can truly let you have it. You'll go to a new school, have new friends, we'll have more money-"

"Money? Dad, do you honestly think I care about any of that?"

"You will, Hiccup. Give it five years, ten years, but you will."

I rolled my eyes. None of what I was saying was getting through to him.

"Do you understand, son?" Dad asked me, not letting my shoulders go even when I tried to pull away. Apparently, he wasn't going to let me escape until he got the answer he was satisfied with.

I gritted my teeth. "I don't-"

"Understood?"

Looking up at the angry gaze that filled Dad's eyes, I knew that any more arguing was pointless. He was stubborn; much more stubborn than me. He was the kind of man that would rather die than admit he'd been in the wrong.

I lowered my head. "Understood."

"Good."

He finally let me go, and I rubbed my shoulders where Dad's hands still throbbed upon. I looked over at Toothless who stared up at me from the floor, cocking his head as his large ears twitched. "C'mon, bud. I think we're both wanted more upstairs."

Gesturing him to follow me as I began to stomp up the stairway, I made an effort to make every step as loud as possible. I was angry with Dad, more angry than I'd ever been with anyone in my entire life, and I was going to show it to him as much as I could.

I wasn't moving, no. I was going to stay in Berk… even if it meant tearing us apart in the process.

* * *

That evening, I relished in the glorious feeling of cleverness as Dad called me three times down to dinner, but each time I pretended not to hear. Finally, on the fourth call, I slammed open my door and yelled back, "I _know_! Stop yelling at me!"

As quick as that, he stopped.

I took my time sliding down the stairs, and Toothless was getting impatient with me as he kept looking behind his shoulders to see if I still was coming down. By the time I reached the floor, I was sure my Dad had finished his dinner without me.

But alas, as I entered the kitchen, he was still waiting there, a warm steaming plate of pasta in front of him and a plate from across him that was for me.

He stood up as I came in, and I realized he looked a lot less angry than he had earlier. Maybe a few hours of separation had given him enough time to cool down. "Hiccup," he said, and gestured to my seat. "Sit. We need to talk."

"No, I think we did all the talking we needed to do earlier," I told him.

He looked at me with an unreadable expression. "Now, Hiccup."

I sat down.

He went back to his seat and cleared his throat as he pulled something out of his pocket. It was a bag full of large pieces of paper with something printed off on them I couldn't quite make out. "I decided it wasn't fair of me to go ahead and get a house without asking you first," he admitted, and I could tell it was taking every fiber of his being to be sincere.

Relief flooded me, as well as surprise. "Really? I-I mean earlier, I thought-"

"Yes. Well, you were right. You deserve to be asked first, so…" He opened the ziplock bag and dumped out its contents on the counter. Most of the pieces were upside down, and so he began to flip them over. That's when I saw the first one- a house.

The second was flipped over. Another house. And another. And another.

They were all pictures of houses.

About seven different options were laid down on the counter, and Dad slid them all in front of me. He smiled. "Whichever one you want, Hiccup. I've checked the prices - we can afford any of them - and they all have a backyard for Toothless to play in. And they're all reasonably close to the school I wanted to enroll you in."

My relief faded away, replacing it with shock. I'd expected Dad to ask me if I wanted to _move_ or not- not to pick out the very house we were going to live in.

Looking over the choices again, I recognized the house I'd seen Dad ready to buy on the computer earlier today. He'd put it a little in front of the others, and by the way he was staring at it, I could tell it was his favorite.

Carefully, I picked the house picture up and studied it for a long moment. A flicker of spread across Dad's face.

"Do you like this one?" I asked him, showing him the house again.

He broke into a grin, nodding. "Whatever's alright with you, son. Just pick whatever you want to."

I smiled back, fingering the picture. "Whatever I want. Alright."

I took joy in seeing the shock that spread across Dad's face as I ripped up the picture of his precious house in front of his very eyes. I sprinkled the remaining pieces across the counter and brushed off my hands. "Much better."

He stood up from his seat. "Hiccup-"

"Listen, I don't want to move, Dad!" I interrupted, and in one quick motion I swept the rest of the pictures off of the counter. Toothless yelped below and ran away to escape the flurry of papery snow that rained down on him. Shaking my head, I met Dad's steely gaze with one of my own. "You can't make me."

With that, I jumped up from my seat and stormed away from the counter, Toothless trailing behind me. I could hear Dad slump back in his seat in defeat as I marched up the stairs, but I didn't care. I had made my point, and I just hoped he understood it. If not, I didn't know what I'd do.

Because, whether I liked it or not, he was still my legal guardian. And that meant he could take me wherever he wanted to. Out of town, out of state…

And he could make me move to Connecticut.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I'll try to update as much as I can, but y'know how life can be. Please fave, follow, and review! :)**


	16. Update (please read)

**Hey, guys! No, this isn't an update, but that is what I'd like to talk about.**

 **Okay. I just... I've really lost interest in HTTYD and I don't think I can finish this fic. There's like 10 more chapters and it would probably take me another year or two to get it all out if I did decide to continue (plus, you guys already know that I update pretty slow to begin with). I don't want to put you through that, and I don't think I could keep this fic going for that long, either.**

 **HOWEVER, I do have the whole plot written down and I was wondering if you guys would like it if I posted that instead! That way you could all know what happens without me posting the rest of the chapters!**

 **Anyway... I'm so,** ** _so_** **sorry about all of this, but I just can't force myself to write HTTYD fanfiction anymore. Besides wrapping up one other fic, I don't think I'll continue posting in the fandom (well... maybe in the future if I get back into it again... but that's a topic for another day). I hope you guys can forgive me because I am really sorry! I know how frustrating it is when an author abandons a fandom that you like... I just don't want to cancel this fic without you guys knowing what happens!**

 **Okay, wrapping things up,** **thank you for reading and don't forget to comment below on what you guys want me to do! I'll try and get back to you ASAP :)**

 **Talk soon!**

 **~thepurplewriter333**


	17. Chapters

**Ahhh, here it is! The chapter list! Admittedly not very well written, but you guys will get the point.**

 **Hope you enjoy…!**

* * *

 **Chapter Sixteen: No**

Hiccup, realizing he has no other choice, tells his friends he's moving away at their study group the next day (which takes place at Snotlout's). They are in shock, each having their own questions for him. They promise they'll do everything they can to help him not move. Hiccup is grateful but skeptical. He knows they all cannot do much to sway his father. Hiccup goes home and sees a for sale sign up in their yard, full of flyers about their house. Hiccup reads one, then angrily stuffs it in his pocket. He takes the rest out and hides them in his backpack, not wanting to move. Stoick later mentions happily that all the flyers are gone and they should be getting some offers soon. Hiccup thinks not. The next day, Hiccup sees more flyers are back in the for sale post. He angrily shoves them in his backpack and then kicks down the post for good measure. _One thought was in my mind: No. I wasn't going to stand aside any longer. Not while I had a say in it._

 **Chapter Seventeen: 229 Berk Lane**

When a couple comes over to inspect the home while Stoick and Hiccup are there, they ask if Hiccup likes the house. Hiccup casually replies with a yes, he does, except for sometimes the neighbors can be noisy, the house makes a lot of sounds in the night, and because it's at the end of the street it's the target for break-ins, etc. The now-dubious couple looks around more, obviously don't like the house anymore, and say they'll think about buying and then leave. Stoick is furious and gives Hiccup the cold shoulder the rest of the week. Hiccup, however, is fairly happy anyway.

(Fun fact: I chose the 229 house number because it's Hiccup's birthday, 2/29!)

 **Chapter Eighteen: Sunset Stroll**

Astrid invites Hiccup on a walk with their dogs around a nearby lake and they talk more. Hiccup reveals that he doesn't want to move and he's having problems with his father. Astrid comforts him. (Basically, the scene resembles something like "Romantic Flight" from the movie.) Hiccup comes home and finds Stoick grinning. "Somebody took the offer on the house," he says. "In a few days, we may just not be the owners of this home anymore."

 **Chapter Nineteen: Pros and Cons**

Hiccup lists the pros and cons of moving and is dismayed to find there are many more cons. He tries to call Gobber for support, but he is unavailable. Later, he tells his friends about the offer on the house and asks what he should do. They are all quiet. They have given up, he realizes. Even Astrid.

 **Chapter Twenty: Hidden Sins**

Hiccup wakes up with a bad cold and slight fever so he stays home from school. His father needs to leave on mayor business for the day and he finds himself home alone. He then gets an idea. He emails the couple who made the offer on the house on his dad's computer (sneaky little bugger) and says that they've unfortunately had a better buyer and can no longer sell the house. Hiccup presses send, and then calls their realtor. He says due to personal reflections, they no longer want to sell the house but they thank him for his time. Hiccup hangs up, feeling pleased, but then gets a bad feeling in his stomach about what he's done. He's also feeling a little sicker than before and decides to go back to bed. He is walking towards the stairs when he starts feeling sick and lightheaded, then his knees buckle… and he blacks out.

* * *

 **BONUS (I PRE-WROTE THIS SCENE EARLIER BECAUSE I LOVE HICCUP WHUMP SO MUCH, SO HERE YOU GO!):**

I was really starting to feel sick now. The world was spinning around me and I couldn't seem to catch my breath as I stumbled towards the stairs. I knew something was seriously wrong with me, but my thoughts felt so sluggish I couldn't figure out what.

My eyes swept the room and I spotted the home phone resting on the counter. I needed to call someone... _Dad_. I needed Dad.

I pushed my way towards the kitchen, the world swaying with my footsteps. I grasped the wall and furniture around me to steady myself. The phone was only a dozen feet away, but it felt like miles. My prosthetic only dragged me down.

Finally, _finally_ I reached the counter, but by then I wasn't even sure if I had enough strength left to dial in Dad's number. My heart thudded loudly while blood roared in my ears. My trembling hands picked the phone up and managed to type in the numbers before my legs started to give out beneath me.

The world turned black just as my father answered the phone.

"Hiccup?"

But this time, I was unable to answer.

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-One: Sick Trip**

Hiccup wakes to his father shaking him awake, who is horrified. "Hiccup, you're burning up. Why didn't you call me?" Stoick helps Hiccup onto the couch and then makes a call to the doctor. Hiccup learns that he must go to the hospital because his immune system is weak, and they can't take the risk of it getting any worse. Stoick also guesses that he has the flu which could be dangerous with him so fragile at the moment. Hiccup is stuck in the hospital for the next three days and his friends come to visit him. However, he starts to feel guilty about what he's done on the computer, and it takes some time to get back up on his feet again.

 **Chapter Twenty-Two: Something Furious This Way Comes**

A few days later, once home, Hiccup is ready to go back to school again. He's still a little weak, but he wants to steer clear of his father while he can. While at school, his friends ask why he's not emptying out his locker, seeing as he'll be moving soon, and he pleasantly responds that he doesn't think they're going to move just yet. He comes back home, goes up to his room, does homework, comes back downstairs for dinner… when his dad silently, but furiously, holds up a picture of a printed out email from Hiccup to the people interested in buying the house saying that they had another buyer. He grabs Hiccup by the shoulders and yells, " _What did you do?"_

 **Chapter Twenty-Three: Listen**

Stoick once again yells at Hiccup, asking what he did, and Hiccup tells him about his sending the email and canceling their agent. Stoick is brimming with anger, saying that he trusted Hiccup and he knew what was best. He angrily snaps that his mother would've understood, if she was still around. But she's not, thanks to Hiccup. Hiccup is taken aback and tries to tell himself that his father didn't mean it. The voice in his head only taunts him more. Hiccup goes on to say that he himself has been so focused on what he lost that day in the car wreck that he forgot that he had gained something: his father. However, Stoick doesn't understand. Hiccup feels useless and gives up trying to explain. He says that his father's won- he'll move away after all. But he needs some time away first. He grabs his backpack from the doorway and leaves the house as Stoick shouts after him angrily, planning to head over to Snotlout's in hopes his cousin won't give him up.

 **Chapter Twenty-Four: Runaway Blues**

After some tense explaining, Snotlout agrees to let Hiccup stay the night. Hiccup stays in the basement and it's a little tense trying to get him past Spitelout unnoticed. Snotlout doesn't really know what's going on between him and his dad but stops asking when Hiccup snaps back that he doesn't want to talk about it. Snotlout agrees to not tell Stoick or Spitelout where Hiccup is, but only until Sunday night. Then Hiccup will have to face his father. A day passes, and Snotlout says his father is getting really worried about him. Hiccup doesn't care. He gets a few updates as the days go on about how worried his dad is getting but can't find himself to care. Finally, Sunday night comes and Hiccup realizes that he needs to tell his father how he feels in last hopes of them mending their bond. Snotlout and him bid farewell, and Hiccup leaves, walking the way home when a car comes down the road… it's Stoick. The car parks beside him and Hiccup can't see his expression as his father gets out of the car.

 **Chapter Twenty-Five: More Than I Seem**

Stoick rushes over and hugs him, to Hiccup's surprise. He asks where he's been, but Hiccup asks, "Why would you care?" Stoick looks hurt and asks why Hiccup left. Hiccup explains and goes onto say he doesn't want to move. He has a life here, friends, Toothless, a chance of repairing his relationship with his father, and his mother is still here. Finally, after Hiccup makes a point that he's "more than he seems," Stoick finally understands. Hiccup says he'll move away with his father if he truly thinks that's best, but he wants to wait until the school year's finished. Stoick shakes his head. "Hiccup, if you come home right now, then I promise… I promise that we won't move unless both of us are ready to." Hiccup agrees, and the two head home. After all, Hiccup thinks, Toothless would be missing him by now.

 **A FEW MONTHS LATER….**

Things are returning to normal. Or, normalish. The bullies aren't as bad, Hiccup's now in high school and taking all honors classes where he can geek out with Fishlegs even more. (YAHOO) He's turning into a handsome young man and notices more girls staring at him. (*wiggling of eyebrows*) Astrid, however, claims him as hers. (Hiccstrid forever BOOYAH) Snotlout and him form a mutual respect for each other, and Hiccup helps the twins with their crazy lab experiments when he can. Life's good, he realizes. And his father... their relationship is better now, and Stoick's regularly visiting Valka's grave. He has gradually accepted her death and stops blaming Hiccup for it. They have no further wishes to move, and Hiccup realizes that only once he and his father accepted the life they'd been handed were they finally able to move past the bad stuff. He misses his mother, but he has his friends and family to help him through it, and it's hurting a little less every day. And finally, he comes to the realization that he's more than he seems… and always has been.

* * *

 **EXTRA BONUS SCENE- THE ENDING:**

At first, they all thought I was just as I was seemed. Nothing special at all - just an ordinary boy with an ordinary life. But now… now I had a father who cared, friends who stuck by my side, and a very loving dog who, frankly, I couldn't live without.

If you looked at me for a moment, you probably wouldn't be able to guess any of this. But if you cared to stop and ask, I'd tell you.

At first, I might have thought that my only choices at first were to swallow my anger about life and then throw it in someone else's face, but there _is_ another option. I could just let it go. Only when I did that was when it was really gone… only then was I able to move forward.

I'd finally realized I was more than I seemed. And, looking back down the path that got me here, I realized I always had been.

 _ **_THE END_**_

* * *

 **Whelp. It's all over now.**

 **Wow, this has been a… very long ride. This fic has always been special to me since the day I posted it and I remember thinking about when I'd finish it and what it'd be like… I just didn't really expect it to be like this. Again, I am SO SORRY I was not able to write all of this out, but I'm just glad I pre-wrote the plot (even if it is a little iffy written, heh) so you could at least read it! :)**

 **Thank you so much for your support for this story for… woah, almost two years now! Seriously, every single one of your reviews counts and I always smile when I look back at them! I never really thought my writing was all that "good" but you guys, being the amazing people you are, really helped boost my confidence when I was feeling down! Now that I'm getting back into fiction writing, I have to say, the writing skills I've learned on here have definitely helped me improve.**

 **With that… I guess there's not much left to say! I hope this is (somewhat) of a plot you guys would've liked to read, and I'm sorry it's not in better format, LOL. To be honest, I cleaned these up from what they were written like before, and I'm really glad I did because they were all over the place. XD**

 **Again, thank you guys SO MUCH! You all are wonderful, incredible people and your support has meant the world to me! If you guys do decide to check out the fandoms I'm currently writing in, I'll be there, and I'm also happy to PM anytime if you guys have any questions!**

 **Also, before anyone else asks- NO** _ **,**_ **this story is** **not up for adoption!** **As I've posted the rest of the plot, there's no need for anyone to continue it and I'd rather leave it as it is. :)**

 **Adios and have a great week,**

 **~thepurplewriter333**


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